


I've Been Waiting

by tmwillson3



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: 69 (Sex Position), Airplane Sex, All the Slick, Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Ben is Human and shifts into Kylo the sea monster, Ben is a tease and encourages it, Boss/Employee Relationship, Claiming Bites, Come Marking, Dirty Talk, Double Penetration, Double Penetration in One Hole, Enthusiastic Consent, F/M, Fever Dreams, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Human/Monster Romance, Light Angst, Lube, Marking, Mile High Club, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Monsterfucking, Multiple Orgasms, Multiple Penetration, Nipple Play, No Pregnancy, Oral Sex, Plot, Practice makes perfect, Rey angsts and doesn't want to choose between Ben and Kylo, Rey just wants to be filled up, Rey's Slow Steady Fall to the Tentacle Side, Reylo babies, Sea Monsters, Self-Lubrication, Semi-Public Sex, Sex Toys, Shapeshifting, Soft Ben Solo, Tentacle Dick, Tentacle Monsters, Tentacle Sex, Tentacles, Tentacles everywhere, Vaginal Fisting, Vaginal Sex, Very Thin Plot, Wedding Fluff, Weddings, talk of children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:07:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 125,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24322513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmwillson3/pseuds/tmwillson3
Summary: Rey takes her dream job caring for sea creatures under the guidance of a seemingly perfect boss, Ben Solo. She could never imagine what would happen when Ben encouraged her to study a seemingly new breed of octopus, this one named Kylo.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 346
Kudos: 618
Collections: Ben and Rey Multiverses





	1. Someone New

**Author's Note:**

> Happy MerMay! I had a dream a while back with this idea, and so I decided to make it Reylo. This fic will start a little slow as everything gets set up for Rey, but I promise the payoff is worth it. I've never been one for slowburn. Just prepare yourselves for a lot of fluff and smut
> 
> Many thanks to everyone who has encouraged me while writing this! Special thanks to automatic_badgirl for beta reading all this and taking the plunge!!  
> Check her out [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl)  
> Also big thanks to WinglessOne for the beautiful moodboard and cheering me on  
> [WinglessOne](WinglessOne)

"Well, at least I don't have to worry about you trying to take my hand."

Rey knelt down to inspect the small octopus on display at the end of the shallow pool. The day before, the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center had been displaying their manta rays there for the public to touch. She had visited it with her PhD advisor, Dr. Amilyn Holdo, just to see the variety of marine life that the aquarium offered. 

Today, Amilyn was presenting her findings on octopus venom to the research group assembled. Now that the presentation was over, Rey had one goal: find a job. 

It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the research Amilyn did, but she also didn't want to focus on only the venom. She cared more about the animals, which was why she had stolen away from the alcohol and schmoozing to see the one thing she hadn't been able to see yet, the whole reason they convened this group: the octopus. 

The manta rays had been put away, and a large number of octopuses were on display. Several more rare breeds were out, but Rey zeroed in on the  _ octopus vulgaris,  _ the common octopus. Its thin, coral-colored skin was bumpy and familiar, an old friend from all her research time with Amilyn. She skimmed her fingers along one arm, since an octopus didn't technically have tentacles, grinning and feeling like she was home once more.

"It's good to see you again, old friend."

"Old friend? We've never met." 

Startled, Rey looked up, not expecting a low, smooth voice to respond back not far away. The pleasant voice ricocheted through her body, warmth pooling within her in ways few men had ever done before. Her eyes sought the owner of the voice, and her body froze as a towering, dark body separated from the shadows, his long, inky, black hair as wild as his chocolate eyes. 

Eyes as deep and dark as the sea. Eyes she could drown in. Eyes that pulled her into his current, and she never wanted to leave. They made her heart pound and body twitch, something new and powerful here. 

Something unexpected and mysterious. She wanted to explore and get to know this man for reasons she couldn't explain. 

"I'd know if we had. I always remember the pretty ones," he said, stopping at the opposite edge of the pool.

Rey shivered at the low timbre of his voice and at how his eyes devoured her, not missing a single detail. She felt naked under his gaze, as penetrating as it was, but it wasn't disturbing or creepy, for once. There was no leer in those all-seeing eyes. 

His eyes were different. She felt as though she was truly being seen for the first time. 

Most of the men at the conference had focused on other women who wore more revealing clothes. She dressed seriously like her advisor, in a no-nonsense, charcoal pantsuit, and she had barely gotten the time of day from any of the owners of aquariums there. 

Not that she wanted to, based on who she met. The few men who were looking clearly wanted to get into her pants based on how they had kissed and taken her hand, and that was  _ not  _ how she wanted to land a job. Then there were a couple of older men who had straight up hit on her without shame; she tried to forget about them, making sure to avoid sitting next to them during presentations and sitting by other young women who whispered about job opportunities.

_ This _ enormous beast of a man in a fitted suit looked like he could crush all the rest of the men present with either his muscled arms or thick legs. The white dress shirt buttons underneath strained, and Rey felt bad for the shirt. 

When she realized she was staring, she jerked her head back up, noting his amused half-smile.

"Well?" he prompted. "Do I have amnesia, or are you trying to hit on me?"

She blushed redder than the octopus and began stroking it nervously. His eyes tracked her fingers, never straying from how she latched onto the creature.

"No! I mean, neither. I didn't know you were there honestly," she said, embarrassed at being called out for her obvious interest. 

She wasn't one normally for one-night stands, but she would be willing to make an exception for him. One passionate night with him followed by an early afternoon flight would ensure she slept through the stressful plane ride. She was sure Amilyn would even encourage it since her advisor was always telling her to get out more and be more adventurous. 

If he was avoiding people, then he was probably as uncomfortable as she was at such events and desirous of leaving. Better yet, he wouldn't be trying to hire her or have expectations. 

"I was addressing this octopus, actually," she continued, holding his gaze steadily and petting the octopus a little more. 

"Ah. I understand," he said, nodding in agreement, as though it were completely normal. 

Stepping around the short, sky blue pool, he stopped above her, nostrils flaring when he entered her personal space. Looking for her permission and receiving it with a small smile, he dropped to his knees, reaching for a different arm on the octopus. Through it all, his eyes never left hers, and she was unnerved by it, but more so by his closeness. He was _ stupidly broad  _ and his scent, the salty ocean mixed with something pure man, filled her senses. 

His gaze became thoughtful. "I talk to my friends regularly like this. I thought I was the only one who did that."

"Oh, you're not alone. I love doing that, too!" she cried, glad to find something in common with him. Her body inched closer, and some of the tension left his shoulders. 

He grinned. "So you know this particular octopus? Is that why you went to her first? Everyone else has been ignoring her because of those rarer ones over there," he said, motioning to the opposite end of the pool. 

She shook her head in reply, meeting his eyes with a shy smile. "No, not personally. But I work with several just like her at my lab, and I miss BeBe and Dio. She feels like home." She stopped talking when she realized she was rambling. He didn't seem to mind, eyes soft and mouth shaped like he was saying "home". When he didn't say more, her nose scrunched, eyeing him carefully. "How did you know it's a she?"

It was his turn to fumble. "I, uh, have met her before. She's local to this area, just as I am."

Her eyes lit up. "Oh! Do you work here at the aquarium?" she asked conversationally.

He blinked in surprise. "No. You don't know who I am?"

"No. Should I?" she asked curiously, drawing closer to him as her head tilted to the side. "I'm relatively new to all this."

"Why are you here? Looking for a job?" he asked, pulling his hand back and wiping it on a handkerchief in his breast pocket. 

"Yes. I'm sure it's fairly obvious since I'm so young," she said with a shrug. 

He nodded with a blank face. "There are very few places hiring right now."

He understood! He seemed a little older, but perhaps he was job searching as well. The possibility of going home with him was looking better and better. 

"I know," she replied with a frown, pulling away from the little lady to face her new friend. "The few who are hiring are either impossible to impress or are sleazeballs, and I don't want to work for creeps. My advisor said I could stay with her, but I don't want to do venom research on these lovely creatures. I want to take care of them."

His hand reached out and held hers comfortably, even if it was ice cold to the touch. The reassuring squeeze did wonders to put her at ease, and his grip warmed quickly. "I feel similarly. What made you decide to study octopuses?"

Her eyes brightened in excitement. "Well, I was born and raised in Jakku-"

"Where there's no ocean or aquarium," he interrupted, making her sigh. 

"True. But, it did give me a reason to leave as soon as I aged out of the system and got a full ride to D'qar University."

"In Maine, as I recall. The opposite side of the country from Arizona," he said with a knowing look. 

"As far away as possible. I miss the heat sometimes, but I fell in love with the ocean as soon as I saw it for the first time. I started in mechanical engineering until freshman year spring break. That was the first time I saw a jellyfish."

"Did it sting you?" he asked, eyes wary, sitting on the wide, stone ledge of the pool. 

"No. It stung someone later, but I just kind of followed it at a distance whenever I was in the water. I was too fascinated by its billowy shape and how it shimmered in the water to get that close. After it stung an idiot with a beer can, I stood up for the jellyfish, telling the guy to be more careful."

She broke his gaze to glance down awkwardly. She didn't regret doing it, but everyone always gave her weird looks for doing so when she told that part of the story. A moment later, his other hand darted forward and tipped her chin up, so that she could see the soft smile on his face. 

"Not many would do that. Did you grow curious about jellyfish after that?" He pulled his hand away from her face and patted the ledge, encouraging her to join him. 

Hopping onto the ledge, she scooted closer to him as her eyes brightened. "Yes. I visited Doctor Holdo, and she invited me to join her research team for that summer. I've been doing that work ever since. Just got my PhD."

"She's doing admirable work, trying to find an antidote to Blue-Ringed octopus venom. It's a unique way to go about it, using more common venom from other octopuses," he noted. 

"Yes! It's really cool, and I've been able to visit a few places because of it. You'd think a good work ethic and a quiet nature would make me marketable," she groused, crossing her arms. 

"It does," he said, pulling out a card. "At least to me. How would you like to work at my lab? You can start immediately."

Her mouth dropped. He went from agreeing with her that there were no jobs to  _ this _ ? 

"Who  _ are _ you?" she asked, eyeing him carefully. 

"Ben Solo, of Solo Ocean Research Laboratory, at your service," he said, handing her his card. 

"Rey Johnson. That name sounds familiar," she said, glancing at the card before meeting his interested gaze. 

"Most likely because everyone knows I've been looking for an assistant for a few months and have yet to hire someone."

Whispered conversations from earlier came back to her with stunning clarity. Multiple people, young and old, had gossiped about how Solo's last assistant had disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Not that it had stopped anyone from wanting the job, since apparently he was always funded and world-renowned for his research. He presented rarely and didn't leave his lab often, a cloak of mystery maintained over him and his work. 

Even Amilyn had mentioned him in passing before, so that was saying something. 

When she finally recovered from her deer-in-the-headlights stare, she coughed. "My apologies. This was … unexpected. I didn't know this was a job interview."

He grinned before standing. "My methods are unorthodox, and everyone has been trying to talk to me. I'm tired of it, and I hate most people already." The way his eyes landed on her told her that she was a rare exception, and she appreciated that. "What those people don't understand is that I'm not in it to be famous or rich. I need someone who will keep her nose down and help me take care of octopuses. I think you could."

She followed him and stood quickly before shaking his hand. "Thank you. I appreciate that."

"Does that mean you accept my offer?" he asked, stepping in closer. 

His tighter grip and overpowering scent made it hard to think. "Yes. I mean, could I have tonight to think it over?" she asked, cringing at her nerves. "This is my first real job offer. I'm not sure what would happen next-"

His free hand shushed her by pressing a soft finger to her lips. Her breath hitched, and his eyes grew darker, more hungry, before he slid his finger down, the tips of his fingers dancing on her chin and sending shivers all through her. 

"There's a small cottage on the property where you're welcome to stay. It's right by the ocean and much cheaper than anything you'll find around here," he said, smirking. "The pay is flexible, but I suspect it's more than you currently make."

"I don't need much to live on," she said with a shake of her head. "I'm used to living on ramen."

His nose wrinkled. "Not anymore. There are finer, better things in life. Think about it. Come find me tonight, or visit me tomorrow at my lab. I'd be willing to show you around, even if you don't take the job. Dr. Holdo is also invited," he said, as a gesture of kindness. "I think you'll like it there."

"Will I get to work with them everyday?" she asked, her eyes shining with curiosity. 

"Yes. Their health and feeding will be your responsibility, as well as whatever else I need help with," he said, licking his lips. "Consider it. I think we'd suit. I can't promise I'll talk this much-"

"That's not a problem for me. Thank you, Mr. Solo. Truly."

"Ben," he corrected, bringing the back of her hand to his lips. On a murmur, he added, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Rey. I look forward to getting to know you  _ much better _ ."

She shuddered as he let go and disappeared into the shadows once more. Now  _ that  _ was how a man kissed a hand. Yes, he had seemed interested in her earlier, but she had a feeling that was her imagining it and wanting it to happen. Plus, he was probably desperate for an assistant, rather than a one-night stand with her. 

There was no way he could be interested in someone as boring and dressed so plainly as her. It was all in her head, or so she told herself. It was disappointing that she wouldn't be going home with him, but the new job far outweighed everything else. 

He didn't seem the type to force himself on her, nor have expectations once she arrived. She couldn't explain why, but she felt that she could trust him. 

For a moment, all she could do was stand there, wondering if it had all been a beautiful dream, that she had finally gotten her dream job from a decent place and person. Shaking her head, she went in search of her advisor and closest work friend.

She would call Rose later with the good news. Rose was working at an engineering firm near the university, so she would be excited but sad to see her best friend go south. 

Rey was almost to Amilyn when an older man stepped away from a conversation and into her way. She recognized him at once since he had leered at her and hit on her earlier, telling her how he had a place for her. 

She wanted no part of the creepy, old guy with a smoker's voice and wrinkled skin everywhere. The old prune needed to spend some quality time outside the ocean. 

"Miss Johnson, did you think about my generous offer?" 

Rey couldn't believe he had been serious. As politely as she could as, she replied, "I have, and I'm not interested. I have received another offer I'm pursuing instead. Thank you, though, Mr. Snoke."

"Richard, please," he said, putting out a hand. When she didn't take it, he raised an eyebrow. "I hope you'll reconsider later. Especially if you end up at SORL. I can pay better, and you don't have to worry about your body washing up on the shore at a later date."

Her body froze in horror before she smiled weakly. "I hope you enjoy the rest of your time here. Thank you again."

She walked off, and thankfully Amilyn was close by, ready with a glass of Riesling. The two wandered outside to the walking path that surrounded the aquarium. 

"What did that old raisin want?" asked Amilyn without preamble. "Please tell me you didn't take the job offer from him. For a while, I was worried you weren't getting offers because he was telling them not to."

"Never! He's disgusting, and I hope he wouldn't say something like that," cried Rey before taking a large gulp of wine. 

Amilyn's face became somber. "Oh, he would. He's done some shady stuff before and since I started my research."

"Well, it doesn't matter anymore. He did say something peculiar-"

Her advisor stopped in front of her. "Tell me."

“You know that mysterious lab owner who works near here-”

“Solo? What of him? I’d  _ kill _ to see his lab setup,” commented the older woman with a far-off look.

“About that. Hold that thought,” said Rey, holding up a hand. “Anyway, Snoke mentioned that if I worked for Ben-”

“Ben? You’re on first name terms with him now? When did you meet him?” Amilyn looked her up and down and saw the grin that suffused Rey’s face. “Oh. He offered you a job.”

“He did! I was shocked," she added on a stage whisper in awe. "All I did was tell him about how I became interested in all this, and then he was offering me a job! It was incredible, and he’s so…” 

Rey trailed off, biting back her comment about him being hot. Rose would call his look panty-melting, and she would agree this time. 

Amilyn lifted an eyebrow expectantly, and Rey tripped over her words. “He’s intense, but he seems gentle and understanding. Quiet. He thinks we’ll suit well together. I want to take it, but I know no one here.”

Her advisor made a scoffing noise . “So what? He’s offering you your dream job, Rey! Take it, and let me visit you sometime,” cried Amilyn, shaking her shoulders. “You came to the university knowing no one, and look how you bloomed there. You’ll do the same here, and it’s warmer. You like the humidity so far, right?”

Rey nodded with growing excitement. “I do. It feels like being in the water without actually being so. It’s a little populous here, but I don’t think I’ll need a car since I can stay on the grounds.”

“Why didn’t you say yes already?” asked Amilyn, turning her around. “Go find him and tell him you accept.”

“So I can trust him? I wasn’t sure and feared just jumping in like I normally do-”

“Trust your instincts with him. He’s good, and this time, I approve of you being impulsive. Go,” encouraged Amilyn, pushing her forward. “The change will be good for you.”

Rey turned around hesitantly. “What about his missing assistant? That doesn’t frighten you?”

“I don’t think it had anything to do with his job, and even if it did, I doubt his boss was involved in it. Why?” Amilyn asked dismissively.

“Snoke implied that if I were to become Ben’s assistant, I might one day wash up on the beach dead, like the previous one.”

Amilyn scowled. “Probably because Snoke killed the last one, himself. Don’t let that old raisin stop you from doing what you love. Go find him. It’s almost sunset; catch him before he leaves for the night. I’ll head back to the hotel and catch you later.”

“He said he could give us a tour of his lab tomorrow morning. Would you be interested in that before our flight?” asked Rey, unprepared for her usually staid boss suddenly embracing her.

“You betcha. I don’t know how you did it, but I’m happy for you, Rey.”

“Thank you, Amilyn. I couldn't have done all this without you. I appreciate it.”

Rey ran off, determined to find Ben before he left. Once she was inside the building, she went to the pool, and when she couldn’t find him there, she asked a server, who told her he had slipped out the back entrance, toward the beach. Running as quickly as she could, she was panting when she made it outside, but it was worth it. He was there, staring at the sunset. 

“Ben.”

His body tensed at the broken way she said his name, and then he turned around. As soon as he laid eyes on her, hands resting on her thighs as her chest heaved with exertion, his body relaxed, loping toward her.

“Rey. That was faster than I hoped. Have you made your decision?”

She finally looked up, and then she kept looking up. She wasn’t sure she would ever get used to how tall he was, nor the way he made her feel breathless, regardless if she had just been running. It didn’t help that his black bowtie was undone, perched carelessly around his neck along with the top three buttons of his shirt undone, teasing her with that slight reveal of pale skin. She wanted to trace that opening in the shirt with her tongue and see if he tasted like the ocean as well, and when she met his eyes, she was almost certain that he would let her, as black as his eyes appeared.

Those were dangerous thoughts now, but she would have time away to curb them.

“Yes. I made my decision, and I accept,” she replied breathlessly, putting out a hand to shake.

His large hand engulfed hers as he took it. He was so much bigger than her, and she found she liked it. The thought of being held by him, while now forbidden since he was her boss, was still tempting. He felt warm and welcoming, and while he didn’t feel like home yet, she was sure it wouldn't be long with the way he kept on touching her.

“Thank you. You won’t regret it. Would you like to discuss things now or tomorrow morning at my lab?” he asked, moving in closer and removing his shoes with his free hand. 

“Tomorrow morning, please, with Dr. Holdo present. Right now, I’m more interested in talking to you and enjoying the sunset,” she said, motioning toward the water.

“The sunsets are nice, but the sunrises are the best if you can get up early enough. The sky’s the perfect shade of blue, like periwinkle, and the pinks and purples from the sun on the clouds make it breathtaking,” he said. “It’s a ribbon of color unlike anything you’ve seen before.” 

“One day soon, you’ll have to watch it with me,” she said, smiling.

“I’d like that.” His intense gaze settled on her before he motioned to the sleeves on her long-sleeved jacket. “If we’re going to sit in the sand, may I?”

“You may,” she agreed.

This kind of attention was dangerous and marked, and it only fed her feelings of forbidden love for her boss. However innocent and well-meaning it was meant to be, her mind insisted otherwise. 

She only hoped that he stopped doing this after she was officially hired. Otherwise, he was going to have one distracted employee.

He grinned, letting go of her and using his hands to push back her sleeves. The span of his fingers easily enclosed her whole arm, and the way he trailed his fingers slowly along her arms, as though he were memorizing the feel of her, made her break out in goosebumps. It was as though he were blind, needing a physical reminder to confirm her presence, and she thrilled under his firm, yet gentle touch.

Once the sleeves were past her elbows, he licked his lips, and she clenched her legs together, a spike of heat and ache rushing between her legs. 

“Thank you.” She hoped she wasn't blushing too much. 

“You’re welcome. You’ll find that I’m like my octopus friends: I’m more touchy-feely than talkative,” he noted as he removed his suit coat and laid it on the sand for her to sit on.

“I don’t mind at all. Thank you for this.” Once she was seated, she patted the small patch of coat left. “You’re welcome to join me.”

“I think I will.”

He settled beside her, his spread fingers mere inches from hers. She itched to move and let the tips touch, but she feared that it would be inappropriate. Half of her was focused on him and his closeness, and the other half distractedly watched the sunset. 

“Beautiful.”

Her eyes landed on his, noting his were focused on her. “What is?”

He grinned. “The sunset.” The hand closest to her lifted, pointing out certain clouds in the distance. “Look there. The light purples mix well with the blue sky there on top, whereas the bottom is totally different.”

Glancing lower, she noted the yellows and oranges that filled the lower half of the sky surrounding the setting sun. “It’s incredible. I can’t believe I can watch this every day now.”

“As long as you stay with me,” he said, noting how she shivered. “Cold?”

She didn’t want to admit that she was unnerved by his words. “Yes.”

Nodding, he scooted closer and let his hand rest on hers. For a moment, it was cold like the surrounding air, and after it warmed up for several minutes, his fingers danced up her arm. It was almost intimate, the way he touched her, and she revelled in it, loving how his arm rolled across her shoulder and upper back before resting at her other shoulder. 

“Better?” 

It felt like they were a couple, not a boss and his future employee. This was so very wrong, and yet, why should she hate it if he seemed fine with it? Mentally shaking herself, she nodded.

“Yes, thank you. Most won’t indulge this whim of mine.”

“Whim?” he asked, leaning in and eyeing her carefully.

She nodded. “A small confession: I’m not used to being touched, but when I do, I like to cuddle.”

His eyes widened in understanding. “I see.” His hand and arm slid lower, snaking around her to rest on her hip. “Like this?”

She grinned. “Yes. Just like that.”

He grinned. “Good. Now imagine if I had multiple arms like our octopus friends. Think of all the cuddling you could have then,” he rumbled in her ear.

The thread of heat within her burned a little brighter, her body pulsing at such an image. If he had multiple arms, she’d enjoy that, but there were other places she’d like those arms. Her core ached with need at the thought, and she drove those thoughts from her head, as nothing good could come of them.

He was her boss. They couldn’t be in a relationship together, and it was impossible that he had multiple limbs, all desiring to pleasure her.

It was wrong. 

Totally wrong.

Then why did it make her feel hot all over?

As she grappled with conflicting feelings, the air around them grew cooler, and Rey found herself leaning against his shoulder as he told her a little about the tidal area she was about to move to, and the difference in marine life between Maine and Virginia. 

His voice was like a drug, low and intoxicating, and the rhythmic splashes of the waves, combined with the heat he now radiated, made her feel like she was floating. Protected. Safe. She wasn’t sure how long she remained there with him, but when her eyes opened, she realized she had fallen asleep on his shoulder. 

She was worried that he would be annoyed, but when she looked up, she was surprised to see his face resting against her hair, his aquiline nose brushing against her hairline. She couldn’t be sure, but it seemed like he was smelling her. 

“Rey,” he said drowsily. “You alright?”

She slid her head away as quickly as she could before standing up. “Yes. I’m fine, thanks. Sorry for falling asleep. You should’ve woken me.”

“You weren’t out long. I wasn’t worried. It’s been an exciting day for you, and I don’t mind,” he said, a lazy smile on his face. After standing up, he picked up his jacket and shook the sand out of it.

“If you want me to pay for another after ruining that one-”

“There’s no need,” he said appreciatively. “It’s in perfect shape. Would you like to wear it to your hotel and give it back to me tomorrow?” 

She rubbed her arms. “If you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” 

He moved behind her and helped her put it on. She swam in it, but she still felt warm. 

“Is the water too cold to put our feet in?” she asked, eyeing the water longingly. “It’s too cold in Maine.”

“I think it’s warm enough, but I swim in it almost every day. See for yourself.”

Nodding, she removed her shoes and hiked up her pants. As soon as her feet touched the waves, she jumped. 

“Still cold, even in May.”

“Wait a moment,” he said, now close. “It gets warmer the longer you stay there.”

She gave it a few minutes, and sure enough, it did warm up. “I believe you. When should Dr. Holdo and I visit the lab tomorrow?”

“As early as you can. I’ll talk your ear off with details and the tour,” he said, leading her toward the aquarium.

“Does seven work? Breakfast opens at six, and we’re within walking distance of here,” she said as they reached the walkway.

“Perfect. May I walk you to the hotel?”

She blinked rapidly. “Sure. It can’t hurt.”

“It’ll give me peace of mind. This area is fairly safe, but better this way.”

The walk to the hotel was full of questions from her, mostly about good places to eat and things to do in the area. With another kiss on the back of her hand, Rey was certain that Ben Solo was everything a gentleman ought to be, and more.

The problem, she reflected on her way upstairs, was that he was too touchy-feely, especially for only having just met her. It felt unreal, but she decided to see what Amilyn thought of it all when they visited in the morning. 

She liked it - and him - a little too much already. She needed an outside perspective. 

Thankfully, falling asleep was easy. Her advisor was already fast asleep, and all it took was smelling his jacket and thinking of his touch and kisses to help her drift off into abyss. 


	2. Her First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Holdo meets Ben, Rey kisses her boss, and Rey has her first day of work, promptly meeting Kylo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you as always to [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl) and [WinglessOne](WinglessOne) for the beta and moodboard!

The morning came too quickly, but Amilyn didn’t seem bothered that Rey stayed out so late with her future boss. Amilyn did, however, watch Ben like a hawk when they finally arrived.

“That area out there used to house a children’s park. Grommet Island Park if I recall from my last visit here years ago,” said Amilyn after introductions. “I’m still amazed they let you build your lab here.”

“When you’re here to protect the environment and wildlife, they’re more willing to work with you. Plus, they built another park nearby, conveniently located close to Waterman’s,” replied Ben smoothly, not bothered at all.

“If we had more time, I would’ve taken you there, Rey,” said Amilyn. “They make the best orange crushes. Your new boss will have to do the honors to welcome you properly.”

“With pleasure,” he said, grinning. “I enjoy eating there. Expensive, but good quality meat and seafood. Now, would you like to discuss specifics about the job first, or have a tour?”

“Specifics, please,” answered Amilyn for Rey. “The tour is a bonus if we get to it.”

“Of course.”

For an hour, they discussed Rey’s duties and expectations, as well as pay. Once a “reasonable amount” was agreed upon by Ben and Amilyn, Rey went along with it, not expecting anywhere near that much. 

“As for lodgings-”

“I’ll show you what you can expect. Since you’ve agreed so quickly, I’ll throw in a bonus, something to help with furnishing this little cottage more,” he said, leading them outside.

A little ways down the beach, Rey spotted a cozy, wooden cottage with flowery curtains in the windows.

“Wasn’t your last assistant a male?” asked Amilyn, glaring at the cottage.

“Mitaka? Yes. He didn’t live in this cottage, though. He lived inland more. This has been like this since the interior decorator set it up, thinking a woman would come.”

“Those curtains need to go. They should be purple or something else less gaudy,” muttered Amilyn.

“I kind of like them,” disagreed Rey, at least until they got close. “Okay. Maybe they’re a little too bright.”

“Better. We’ll shop when we get back in town. We’ll send you away with everything you need in that moving van he’s paying for.”

Inside, the cottage still smelled like wood and had a lot of modern conveniences inside, much to Rey’s joy. The bed was big enough, but she still wanted to bring her mattress, which would fit the frame perfectly. After they visited the cottage on the jetty, Ben gave them a tour of the rest of the lab, and both Amilyn and Rey thoroughly enjoyed it. The taxi they paid to take them to Norfolk International Airport was an unwelcome sight, and Rey was loath to leave the large, modern lab that had more octopuses there than she knew what to do with. She couldn’t wait to come back, but it would be two weeks before she did, needing the time to shop and pack. 

“Thank you for the tour,” said Amilyn, approaching Ben. “Professionally, I appreciate everything you’re doing.”

“And personally?” he asked, stepping closer. 

Pursing her lips, the woman with purple hair stepped forward. “You do  _ anything  _ to hurt Rey, and I promise that I’ll make your life a living hell. Got it?”

Rey blushed, and Ben stared, wide-eyed and unsure how to respond to that. “I understand.”

“Good. With that, Amilyn went ahead to the taxi, and Rey lingered with Ben, smiling sadly. “She means well.”

“I know she does. There’s no need to say it, though. I intend to take good care of you.”

Her smile became broader. “Thank you again for all this.”

“It’s my pleasure. I’ve got a good feeling about this, about bringing you on,” he said, moving in closer. “I think you’re just what I need, and our animal friends like you already.”

She blushed thinking about the octopus named Artoo that had looped an arm around her wrist and almost yanked her into the water. Ben had narrowly saved her from a good soaking, but oh, the feeling of his arms around her had been heavenly. Big and strong, just as she had imagined, and the feel of the suction discs of Artoo on her skin had been a lot less unpleasant than she had thought. 

The only problem was that with the way Ben had held her so tightly, it was too easy to imagine him also having those suckers, pressing her protectively against him. It was so very wrong, but really, she was hardly to be blamed. 

Especially since he whispered in her ear, “I’ll hold you tighter than Artoo ever will.”

She had leaned into his body, and she had thought she felt him roll his hips experimentally against her rear before his legs looped around hers. “Using all your limbs to do it, too.”

“Naturally.” She felt his smile against her ear, and then his arms had slid higher, dipping lower when they brushed against her breasts. “Anywhere you need me to be, I’ll be there, Rey. Just say the word.”

The low rumble in his chest sent chills through her body, desire coiling within her. She wanted him to touch her breasts again, but that was not allowed.

Now, as she was leaving, the memory of him surrounding her would stay with her until she came back for more. 

“I’m glad they like me. I already like them and look forward to playing with them. I’ll make sure to wear a bathing suit for future incidents. Also, here’s your jacket back from last night. Thank you.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, reluctantly taking it. “You don’t want to hold onto it until you come back?”

“No. I have enough jackets, and it’s way too big for me. I’m sure it needs to be washed.”

“I doubt that,” he murmured, bringing it to his nose and inhaling deeply. “No, it won’t be washed for a while.”

“Why not?” she asked worriedly. “It’s been in sand-”

“Now it smells like you,” he replied simply, giving her a half-smile. 

With another quick press of his lips against her hand, she left, joining Amilyn at last. Her advisor gave her a knowing look as she entered, but it wasn’t until they were through security in the small airport that the older woman finally made her pronouncement.

“He’s very serious about his work, which is good for you. You’ll gain much experience.”

“But?” prompted Rey, seeing the way Amilyn held back.

“But you’ll have to watch him. He’s smitten with you; all he does is stare at you.”

“Not in a bad way, though,” insisted Rey.

“No. He doesn’t see you as a pretty thing he can take advantage of. He’s more cautious around you, but I don’t think he will be forever. If you’re not careful, he’ll blur those lines of boss and employee between you.”

Rey didn’t see why that was a bad thing, but she also knew that Amilyn liked to follow the rules.

“I’ll keep him in line.” She blushed when Amilyn’s eyebrows rose to her hairline. “Fine. I’ll try.”

“You’ve got it almost as bad as him. You barely know him, Rey. You can’t fully trust him. Not yet. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding him, and you need to figure that out before you impulsively jump into things with him.” When Rey opened her mouth to protest, she continued, “I see the way you look at him. You’re attracted to him, but that’s playing with fire. Just be careful and promise me you won’t do anything with him until you trust him, alright?”

“I can do that,” agreed Rey, squeezing her old boss’s hands. 

“Good. I’ll call and check on you every once in a while. If at any point he tries to take advantage of you, leave. I’ll pay your way to come back and join me in a heartbeat. You got it?”

“Yes, I do.”

The next two weeks passed quickly, and Rey was relieved. The memory of Ben’s body pressed against hers made her more restless at night before sleeping, a dull ache there at the thought of Ben and how big he was. When it was very late at night, when she was on the verge of sleep, her confused mind sometimes imagined him with more arms, just like the octopuses she studied. When it came time to pack away everything, the most important things of hers she put into boxes inside her car. She almost placed her vibrator inside a box for the moving truck since she rarely needed it, but then she recalled how little sleep she had been getting and decided to try it out before bed that night. If it helped, then she’d keep it close in her car.

It worked like a charm. She closed her eyes and imagined it was Ben inside of her, rocking into her just the way she liked it, filling her up. After an intense orgasm, she fell asleep immediately, determined to use it every night.

Rey was sad to say goodbye to Amilyn and the others in research, but all wished her well, just as Rose and her boyfriend did, along with all of their mutual friends. The drive was long and full of tolls, but she got there safely in her old beater, barely escaping a ticket on Interstate 95 South because the cops were everywhere. Once she was on Interstate 295 East, though, she calmed down, paying more attention to her surroundings since this was her new home. She noted what could be found at the various exits for shopping and food, and she vowed never to drive on that highway again during rush hour. 

When she finally arrived at Solo Laboratory, Ben was outside to greet her.

“Welcome back,” he said, putting a hand out to shake.

Rey had to ignore every inclination she had to hug him, shaking his hand warmly. After he helped her move all her boxes into the cottage, he brought her inside the lab.

“Let me show you the routine I do for feeding at this time of day, and then you can try it tomorrow. After that, I’ll take you to Waterman’s for dinner in celebration of your return to your new home.”

“I’d like that very much,” she said, picking up the pails of food he had ready.

The feeding went quickly, and Waterman's was just as good as they said it was. They sat outside with a view of the ocean, and Ben insisted on paying for everything. She really enjoyed the orange crushes, but she didn't understand why he was so willing to keep buying them for both of them. 

By the time they left, Rey felt pleasantly tipsy, and Ben looked like they hadn't affected him at all. 

"What now?" she asked, twirling around on the boardwalk that stretched the entire length of the beach. "More sightseeing or sleep?"

Something sparkled in his eyes. "You're not tired?"

She stopped moving to emphasize her point. "In a new place like this? No."

"Let's walk to the Neptune Statue, then. We can find some ice cream if you're interested," he said, grinning when her eyes lit up. 

"There's  _ never _ a bad time for ice cream," she insisted, walking away from the lab. 

They walked about two miles along the boardwalk in the dark, from Fifth Street to Thirty-First. Even at night, the boardwalk was full of joggers and couples enjoying the balmy night air and the sounds of the crashing waves. Rey quickly discovered that there were multiple ice cream shops along the way to the Neptune Statue, and she had every intention of visiting them all to find a favorite. Rey usually wandered ahead of Ben, eyes glued on all the new sights as he narrated everything she saw. When she finally had ice cream in her hands, she stood side-by-side with him for a short time. 

By then, though, the statue was in view, and Rey was surprised by just how  _ huge _ the thing was. 

"No wonder it's a landmark. It's taller than some buildings here," remarked Rey in awe. 

"He's watching over the beach and ocean here, even if I would maintain that he's not the king of the sea these days," said Ben, having her stop some ways in front of him so that he could take a picture of her with her phone. 

"Oh? And what is the king of the sea here, Mr. Researcher?" asked Rey playfully, posing for a few pictures before they got up close. 

"Not what, but who. There's a legendary sea creature who haunts these waters, named Kylo Ren."

She paused to look him over. When he seemed serious, she asked, "What is he? A shark?"

"No. A cephalopod of some sort. Much larger than the normal octopuses and jellyfish seen here."

"Have you seen him before?" she asked, drawing close to him.

"I have. He's a private thing, doesn't show his face around many tourists." His right hand crawled along her arm, fingertips brushing her at various points to make her shiver before he grinned. "But, perhaps you'll see him at some point. Would you like that?"

"Yes. I'm very curious now," she said, drawn in by the intensity of his eyes. 

"Are you naturally curious?" he asked, stepping in closer. 

She nodded, finding it hard to speak when he was that close. The alcohol was almost nonexistent within her after the walk, but she felt buzzed all over again when his scent washed over her. "I like learning."

"Then you'll have much to learn," he murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I usually swim every day around six in the morning. I've seen him most often then."

"Thank you." She leaned into his touch, enjoying the warmth he provided. 

"I consider him a friend of mine; I hope you'll like him, too. He's misunderstood," said Ben, moving until their lips could almost touch. 

"I'm sure I'll love him," she breathed, itching to close the distance. 

For a moment, neither moved. Their eyes remained locked on one another until Ben pulled away reluctantly, leading her up close to the giant bronze statue of the bearded man with his triton and various aquatic animals surrounding him. After snapping a few more photos, Rey circled the statue as Ben watched. When she came back to him, she waved him forward. 

"We should do a selfie."

His lips puckered. "I'm not photogenic-"

"That's ridiculous. You're hot." 

She slapped a hand over her mouth, but the damage was done. He grinned before standing beside her. 

"If it's all the same, you're just as attractive to me," he whispered in her ear. 

He slipped his arm around her, pressing her body against his, and Rey was quite certain that she could get used to this. It felt so right, especially when she fit so easily in the crook of his arm and they took all sorts of silly and serious photos. 

It was as she was putting away her phone that he suddenly crowded her against the statue, sandwiching her between it and him.

"Ben?"

He shushed her, a finger to her lips before his forehead pressed against hers. 

"There's a random dude looking at you. Don't look at him. Pretend you're with me."

"I  _ am  _ with you," she giggled, all humor lost when he kissed the side of her jaw. At that, the anticipation and ache within her skyrocketed, especially when she saw his dark eyes. 

"I need to kiss you," he rasped. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she whispered, moving in until their lips were a hair apart. One hand of hers gripped the front of his button-down shirt while the other wrapped around his waist, enjoying the solidity he offered. 

"Thank you," he replied brokenly, kissing the other side of her face before he found her lips. 

The kiss started out sweet and gentle, but as soon as he pulled away, Rey pulled on his shirt, dragging him back down to her before she kissed him more hungrily, needing to taste him. He growled, and they became lost in one another, a tangle of lips and limbs as they sought to feel and know more of one another. 

This gigantic man was everything she wanted, and she couldn't get enough of him. She didn't know who had been watching, but she was grateful that he was there, to give her the excuse to indulge in something she had been dreaming about for two weeks. If this was her only chance to kiss her boss, she'd make the most of it. 

When his hands gripped her waist, she spread her legs and let him lift her up, his hips and erection pressing urgently against her. She had to break the kiss to gasp, but her legs wrapped around him, eagerly drawing him in closer to have more friction. As they rocked against one another, he made a low noise in his chest, and she grunted in response, loving every sound he made. All they did was stoke her fire higher, desire coiling within her all the more. He sought her mouth desperately, and as their tongues explored and tasted the other, Rey thought she would spontaneously combust on the spot. Each powerful thrust of his left her wanting more, needing to feel more of him, and they couldn't stop. 

Didn't want to stop. 

Eventually, he dragged himself away from her, slowly putting her down. She groaned in disappointment, and she thought she saw a hint of a smile on his face in response before he looked contrite. 

"I'm sorry, Rey. I shouldn't have done that. You're my employee. I'm not trying to take advantage of you-"

"I know. You're trying to protect me. We just got carried away when we shouldn't," she said. "Is he gone?"

"Is who gone?" he asked, looking around until something clicked. "Oh! Yes, he's gone. You're safe."

She wasn't safe from Ben, nor were her ruined underwear, but that was another matter entirely. She was in danger of throwing caution to the wind and simply kissing him anyway, just to prove that he wasn't taking advantage of her. Not when she wanted him to do it this badly. 

"Good. Should we head home?" she asked. 

"Yes. It's getting late," he said, slipping an arm around her. "Are you cold?"

"Not anymore," she replied, snuggling against him.

If she couldn't kiss him, she'd settle for snuggling. 

The walk back was more quiet, and when the lab was in view, he told her what to expect on a daily basis. When they finally arrived at her cottage, she unlocked the door before facing Ben.

"Thanks for an amazing evening. I can't wait to work with you."

"I couldn't agree more. I'll see you tomorrow morning. It's been a pleasure," he said, kissing her hand before heading to the lab, where a small bedroom had been built for him near the entrance to the canal that allowed creatures to leave and enter the laboratory as they pleased. 

When Rey couldn't see him anymore, she dug into her box of bedroom supplies, finding her pajamas and vibrator. She was keyed up and had no desire to sleep, and she knew she needed to. However, she was still thinking about Ben, about the feel of his lips, the taste of his mouth, and just how hard he had been against her. She moaned at the loss of him and climbed into bed, closing her eyes and touching herself the way she liked it, imagining it was him. 

How his eyes would burn for her and how his fingers would fill her, wanting to know every inch of her. She canted her hips rhythmically, finding the pace she needed, and she thought of him, of his wide tongue tasting her and finding her clit, and before she knew it, she was screaming his name into the night. She should've felt ashamed that she was imagining her boss so intimately, but all she felt was how right it was, how he would've even liked it or encouraged her to do it, based on how hard he was. 

She passed out after that, and she woke with the sun, as was her wont. Feeling refreshed, she found her bathing suit and decided to take an early morning swim, as he had suggested. 

Part of her wanted to see Ben in nothing but swim trunks, and another part of her was curious about the sea creature, Kylo. When she walked outside, she was surprised to see an old woman fishing on the dock that separated the public beach from the laboratory. 

As soon as she was close, the old woman peered at her. "Bit early for a swim, don't you think?"

"You're fishing. Why not swim?" she asked with a shrug. 

"You're new, so I wouldn't expect you to know. Some ten years ago, a large sea monster was spotted in these waters. Soon after that, that lab there was built. A curious coincidence, don't you think?"

"Is the sea monster dangerous? Has it attacked anyone, unlike the other animals in the water?" asked Rey, ready to defend Kylo. 

The old woman smiled mysteriously. "No. Not yet. But it likes to swim at these hours, so you should watch out if you do."

"I have goggles; I'll be fine," she insisted, even if she didn't like wearing them. Opening her eyes in salt water wasn't ideal, but she had done it before. "I'm rather … curious about it to be honest. Thank you for the warning-"

"Maz. Maz Kanata."

"Rey Johnson." She brightened, and Maz shook her head.

"I've lived here my whole life, and there's something peculiar about this place where you work. Be careful."

"I will. Have a good day."

"I shall, just as soon as I have my fish."

Walking closer to her cottage, Rey left her towel on the soft, cool sand and walked into the water. Just like two weeks before, the salt water was cold at first, waking her up, but with each welcoming lap of the sea, Rey felt a little warmer until she had the courage to wade in. Once she dove in, the water was exhilarating, and she was excited to be able to swim in it, already thinking about all the days of summer ahead of her when she could do this. 

For a time, she swam like a fish, splashing and coming up for air as needed but keeping to the shallows as she swam up and down the beach on their property. On her third lap, she was approaching the building when she saw a dark shape ahead of her. Too curious for her own good, she swam closer until she could distinguish long tentacles within the dark blob. 

It had to be Kylo Ren. He was just as huge as described. The head and mantle on him was much longer and wider than any octopus she had studied, seeming more like the size of the trunk of a normal human male, and his eight arms were much wider, not to mention longer, at least six feet long. 

She couldn't be sure, but she also thought that two of the arms seemed to be located higher than the rest, which was unique. She would've studied it more, but that was when he turned around and noticed her, spouting a jet of water and quickly swimming away. 

After that, she left the water, wanting to tell Ben what she saw. Before long, she was inside the large, white building, and Ben had wet hair just like her. 

After greetings, he asked, "Did you enjoy your swim?" 

"I did. You?"

"Always."

"Did you see Kylo this morning? I did," she said, the words practically bursting out of her. 

"What did you think of him?"

"I think he'll give the Giant Pacific Octopus a run for his money in size; he's massive!" cried Rey, spreading out her arms to try to show the size. “I wonder what kind he is. Is he a new species?”

"Anything peculiar you noticed about him?" he asked, eyes laser-focused on her. 

"Two of his arms … they seem to originate higher than the rest."

"Seem?" he prompted. "Come now, you're a scientist. You can do better than that."

"I didn't get close enough to tell for sure," she pouted. "I wanted to, but he swam away."

"Then you'll have to befriend him or get closer to him somehow. We'll discuss him more when you have," he said with a grin. 

"I'll keep trying," she said with determination. 

"Good. Do or do not. There is no try," he replied, handing her the supplies she needed. "Ready for your first day?"

She took the bucket, and he walked with her to each group of creatures, watching her through her first time. Once he was satisfied, he went to his private study room and let her do her thing. She kept busy, not stopping until lunch time when her stomach demanded refreshment. She utilizied the kitchenette to create lunch from all the food available for her to use. 

She made a sandwich for Ben since she hadn't seen him all morning, and when she went to check on him, he was bent over a microscope, scribbling notes on a pad of paper. Waiting to knock until he stopped staring at the microscope, she entered when he smiled and waved her in.

"What's this?" he asked, taking the plate. 

"I don't think you've had lunch yet, and it's past one in the afternoon."

"Already?" He ducked down to check his watch, shaking his head when he saw the time. "So it is. This is why it's good to have others around. Thank you, Rey."

"You're welcome. Food is very important to me," she said, blushing. "I hope you enjoy it."

She turned to leave, but he grasped her wrist, tugging her back.

"Wait. Sit with me while I eat. Please."

She couldn't say no to that, so she sat across from him at the table, plying him with questions about his work. 

"I've never seen such beautiful handwriting," she marveled when she read his notes. "Do you type it all later?"

"Yes. I've got a large collection of notes and pictures for all the creatures I've studied. Let me show you."

"This is extensive," she said when she saw the many folders of information. "What do you do with all of it?"

"Use it for research as needed. One day, I'd love to see it be used to teach others about all these beautiful creatures, but I hate large crowds and distrust most people," he said.

"You trusted me pretty easily," she commented, pulling away after she had seen what he did for each. 

"That little lady at the aquarium trusted you, so I know I can, too," he replied, smiling softly. 

"Oh." She hadn't expected that. How he could know that was beyond her, but it had probably helped her get the job, so she decided to overlook it. "Do you want me to take more photos of everyone I work with, or take any other notes?"

"Yes, if you don't mind. Use my notes for reference, to keep it standardized. That will help later when I type them up," he said. "Thank you. I didn't expect you to volunteer to do that."

"I don't mind if it'll help you," she said. "You know all of them best, so you can keep track of them more easily this way."

"I appreciate it," he said, finishing his last bite of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "I should head back to work-"

"Me too. I'll see you at the end of the day to discuss everything," she said, heading for the door. 

"You're welcome to have lunch with me anytime," he said as she left. "This was nice."

She grinned. "It was."

By the end of the day, she had donned a wetsuit multiple times, played with and examined various sea creatures, and typed up her notes. She was welcomed back into his office, and they sat with their heads together, discussing how the day went. 

When they finished talking, he said, "I have groceries dropped off here every week. Feel free to use them, or you can go out and buy your own. If there are other things you want delivered, make a list. I don't like leaving the lab very much, and we have a new girl who drops off the groceries every week."

"Why a new one now?" she asked, curious if it had to do with him getting a new assistant.

"Ask me again in a month," he said, fixing her with a knowing look. "About her and my old assistant, Mitaka."

She stared at him without fear. "I will."

She wanted to know, as much for her peace of mind as to be able to trust him. She wandered downstairs and fixed something for herself while she thought about it. When she looked up, she was surprised to see Ben watching from the door. 

"You throw yourself into whatever it is you're doing. It's an admirable trait," he said before walking in. "What did you make? It smells good."

"Spaghetti and meatballs. Nothing fancy. You want some?" she asked, pointing to the small table in the corner. 

"Sure. I'll grab the plates and cutlery."

Another meal with Ben had her looking forward to all future meals if it meant she could spend more time with him like this. He was passionate about his work, and he had traveled the world, so he had many stories to tell. 

While Rey longed to know more personal things about him, she knew it wasn't wise. It would only encourage more intimacy that she shouldn't have with her boss. She satisfied herself for the present with learning what he loved about his work, so that she could share that equal passion with him. 

They ended up chatting for four hours before Rey finally noticed the time.

After that, they went their separate ways for bed, and Rey couldn't wait for the new day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!! Your response to the fic so far has been AMAZING! Thanks from the bottom of my heart.


	3. A Growing Intimacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the lines are blurred between Ben and Rey, as well as Rey and Kylo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Welcome to the weekend! Be kind to yourselves and much love to you all. Thanks for all your kind words and encouragement on this story!
> 
> A huge thanks to [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl) for beta reading! And thank you so much to [WinglessOne](WinglessOne) for making the moodboard!

Over the course of the next few weeks, Rey developed a new pattern in her life. 

Each morning, she woke up early and went for a swim. Every time she swam, she never saw Ben, which made her a little suspicious after not seeing him two weeks straight, despite the wet hair and other signs he had been swimming. She didn't understand how it was possible, given that she swam at a variety of different hours, looking specifically for him. 

She even went right at sunrise, and still he wasn't there. Kylo Ren was, though. Every day. 

He became the highlight of her swimming hour, just as meals did at work because of Ben. Her work was fairly repetitive, caring for and feeding the various aquatic animals that Ben housed at his lab, and she used her downtime to take notes, as well as read through everything he had compiled. 

His painstaking notes and variety of video and photographs of the animals helped Rey develop a plan to teach the public about the beauty of marine life. 

Two weeks into her time there, she approached his office at the end of the day. 

"Please come in," he called, still bent over his microscope. When she was in front of him, he removed the slide and turned off the microscope with a small smile. "I see you've been organizing my files. Thank you."

"You did everything but that. It wasn't hard. Besides, I think it'll help with the idea I have."

"What's that?" he asked, sitting on a hard, metal stool as she did the same opposite him. 

One of the many things Rey loved about Ben was his receptivity to new ideas. He was always interested in what she had to say, even though she was new to the lab. She was a little nervous about bringing up the idea so soon after arriving, but his warm eyes gave her courage.

"You mentioned wanting to educate others about what we do and wanting to get them excited, without dealing with large crowds here. Why not use the internet?"

"How?" he asked, seemingly at a loss. When her face fell, he quickly added, "It's not that I hate it, but I don't understand logistically how it would work."

"Haven't you ever seen those blogs online?" she asked, pulling up her phone to give examples.

"No? What's a blog?" His lips pursed until he took Rey's phone, examining the blogs in question. "So people just post random photos of this stuff, and people are interested?"

"Of course! It's great for young kids especially," she said, brightening. "I used to give presentations in classrooms after I started posting stuff online. You've got the credibility to pull this off, and the photos to draw everyone in."

"How do you make such a site?" he asked, scrolling through the website. "It looks complicated. My last assistant dealt with everything online for me, other than correspondence because I hate technology."

She shook her head. "Well, you have me now. I've made many and enjoy running them. I'd show you how, but I get the feeling you don't care."

He smiled ruefully. "You're right. I'm interested in it because you are. It seems to have a lot of information on it."

"Depending on how much of a presence you want, I can tell my friends at other labs to advertise it, and I can start building a media presence for you." When he scowled, she amended, "Or, I can just do a little post weekly talking about the state of all our animals here."

"I like that. I don't want to be famous or sought out. I prefer privacy," he said, standing up and moving in front of her. His face grew red as his arms flew about. "I know most people these days like social media and-"

"It's totally fine. I get it," she said, arresting his hands, threading her fingers in his to calm him down. "You like your little bastion of calm by the sea. You like it quiet, and I respect that. It's nice not having to worry about all that for once." She grinned warmly before squeezing his hands. "And, you still want to give back, which is admirable. I'm happy to do whatever you like."

He sighed in relief. "Thank you. I'm not like your average person or researcher."

"I know," she said, standing up. "I wouldn't have you any other way. I like that about you. You care so much about your animals."

He opened and shut his mouth quickly, chewing on his words until he blurted, "I care about you, too. As, you know."

His face and large ears grew adorably red, and she let go of one of his hands to rest a hand against his jaw. Were he any other boss, she'd never dream of doing something so familiar, but the way he encouraged it and entered her space every chance he got made her more comfortable touching him, as well as brave enough to comfort him the way he seemed to prefer. 

"Yes, I do. I care about you, too," she said softly, leaning in her head a little more. "The honor and gratitude I first felt has … changed the longer I've stayed."

His head ducked down, and for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. Then, he seemed to change his mind. 

"Good. Let's go out to eat tonight. I'm in the mood for crab."

It was the first time he suggested going out since Waterman's. Growing excited, she let go of him and nodded her agreement. 

He had plenty of seafood delivered to the lab regularly, and yet he still ordered it when going out. Once she began cooking more regularly in those first two weeks, she discovered that seventy-five percent of the freezer contents was seafood, so she had made it for three consecutive meals in a row after the spaghetti. 

Imagine her surprise when he saw her preparing to cook after that, and he mentioned shrimp to go with the baked potatoes and asparagus. She didn't mind since it was all high quality seafood, but she made sure to find out his preferences for seafood after that. It turned out that he loved blue crab most, followed by marlin and tuna. 

He chose a good place to live.

The only thing more plentiful than the seafood was Ben's presence in Rey's life. With each day, she looked forward to every second she spent with him. She thought that nothing could be stronger than her desire to work with aquatic animals or her love of food, but she had found one in her excitement to see Ben every day. 

She thought of him when she woke up, and inevitably, she imagined him making sweet love to her before she slept. His shy smile was the first thing she saw every morning, as well as the last thing she saw. With each passing day, though, he grew less shy and more willing to grin. 

His shyness around her also wore off quickly. After their passionate kiss, he had been circumspect around her for two whole days, carefully avoiding touching her. When she dropped off a plate of lunch for him and rubbed the back of his hand for encouragement, his carefully blank face melted away into one of confusion.

As she suspected, he was holding back because he was afraid after that kiss. It made sense, but she didn't care. She liked him too much to let it stop her. So few people genuinely wanted to be near her the way he seemed to, and it had been addictive when it happened. 

She had to at least let him know that she didn't mind his closeness.

"Here you go. I'm making something new tomorrow, so enjoy it while it lasts. I have just as big an appetite as you," she said, elbowing him. 

That little jab worked like magic. His whole face lit up, and he turned in his stool, unwilling to stop meeting her eyes until she left the room. When she began reheating the last of the tuna for dinner, he appeared out of thin air, standing in the doorway to the kitchenette. 

For someone so big, he was remarkably quiet. He didn't often watch her because of his work, but every once in a while he would, smiling or waving to her when she noticed him. Other times, he would leave her small gifts, whether something for work or new cooking utensils that she complained about not having when she thought he wasn't around.

She didn't want to seem ungrateful about everything he did have since it was all available to her, and she never had to pay for meals. He didn't cook much, but he knew a few things that he sometimes made in the dead of night when he couldn't sleep. But usually, he let her cook, and he enjoyed watching her. 

With each passing day, he stepped a little further into the kitchenette, until he was standing behind her and looking over her shoulder to watch and joke with her. Little touches on her arms and back became what she looked forward to, as well as the way he loomed above her. He made her feel so small, especially when he wore a wicked grin, and she couldn't help but note how much like a predator he was in those moments.

He was powerful. He was able to pick her up easily if she shrieked or he felt she was in danger. He was fast. His ground-eating strides left her breathless and surprised every time how fast he came to her side whenever he perceived her needing him. His sense of hearing and vision were perfect. No matter how low she spoke, he always heard her and was ready to help her.

At first, he only visited her in the kitchen at dinnertime, telling her of work or his favorite markets to find seafood and whatnot, but she couldn't help but wonder if he was like her, finding him to be the highlight of her day. If he wanted to see her more at lunch just like she did him, there was no point in denying themselves.

As she reheated the last of the leftovers another night, she remarked, "I'll be making more food at lunch tomorrow. If you want any say, you should drop by at noon."

His body tensed, and he blinked his eyes. "You don't mind?"

She turned her head to hold his curious gaze. "No. Why should I when I enjoy our time together?"

"Because …"

"Because what?" she prompted, leaning in.

His whole body relaxed. "Nevermind." His hands rested on her hips, and she loved it. 

"Good. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow at lunch."

She turned around and pulled the food out of the oven. His arms wrapped around her further, until his hands met over her belly button. 

"Not as much as I do," he murmured before moving away to grab plates.

He showed up in the kitchen for every meal after that, always remaining close to her side. Meals became the highlight of her day because of the easy camaraderie and sense of intimacy between them. 

However, her old adviser's words haunted her. It didn't help that Amilyn had just called her recently for an update, wanting to know more about him. Rey hadn't been able to give her as much as she hoped. She still knew little about him besides his feelings about all things related to work and food, especially seafood. 

It was time to fix that. 

It wasn't enough to know that they agreed on types of food and liked making it. Knowing that they were of one mind about the importance of work and humane treatment of animals/others went some ways with her, making it easy to talk and feel like she did know him. 

When his arm slipped around her waist without thinking as they left the lab for dinner out, Rey found that she liked it a lot. He didn't ask because he knew. Knew that she wanted it and welcomed it as much as he did, and it kept all the random dudes off of her during tourist season. 

Ben was an imposing guy physically, even if he had the softest center when it came to Rey. They made the long walk to Catch-31, another restaurant with good crab and seafood, even if too overpriced for Rey's liking. On the walk toward the restaurant, Rey told him more of her plans for the blog, Ben listening intently, and she grew quiet once they entered the restaurant. Once they were escorted outside to escape the crush of people, they were seated at a table around a faux fire with a view of the oceanfront. 

Soft instrumental music and the sound of the crashing waves helped keep the voices outside minimized. Seated across from one another, Ben had his eyes closed, enjoying the moment, and Rey tried to figure out how to ask the burning questions she had.

When he opened his eyes, he leaned on his forearms toward her, concerned. "What's wrong? Too loud? Nothing you like on the menu?"

He seemed so ready to do anything for her. It emboldened her to just ask since he was always receptive to her. "Do you mind talking about more personal things, like family and whatnot? I want to know  _ everything _ about you." 

His head tilted to the side as he took her in. "So you do like this place?"

The word vomit flowed out of her, talking faster the longer she spoke. "Yes. I've walked by it on my nightly strolls before, and I've always been curious. But, if you don't want to talk about all that, it's totally fine. We probably should have boundaries of some sort between us-"

"I don't mind talking about it," he interrupted, leaning in more and taking one of her hands to stop her. "As long as you're comfortable."

She heaved a sigh of relief. "I've never felt more comfortable around someone new before."

"Good. Neither have I," he said with a smile.

He would've said more, but their server came then for their orders. Once he left, Ben had eyes only for Rey.

"What do you want to know about me? Ask me anything," he asked, arms flying out around him. 

She grinned. "Where did you grow up? What were you like as a child? What are your parents like? Do you have any siblings or other family?"

"You weren't kidding when you said you wanted to know everything," he said with a disbelieving shake of his head. "I have no siblings, just my parents, grandparents, and an uncle. My family is … special. There aren't many of us left. My parents moved around a lot when I was young, so I couldn't tell you where I grew up, nor where my parents are now. They travel frequently."

"Must be military. Do you see any of your family regularly?" she asked, more curious than ever.

His face fell. "No. I miss them horribly."

"I'm sorry," she said, taking one of his hands in both of hers. "It must be so hard to be separated from them. And lonely."

"You have  _ no  _ idea," he replied, his other hand covering hers. "I was lonely growing up because it was always the three of us, but it's nothing like now. I think I wanted to study the octopus because I'm just like it, a solitary creature."

"I know  _ exactly _ how you feel," she said, squeezing his hand. "I had vague, happy memories of my parents, and then one day, I was abandoned on the steps of the fire department. I joined the foster care system, and I never felt more alone when I joined a new family and school every year. I can relate to the octopus well."

It was his turn to tighten his grip on her. "Did you ever find your parents?"

Her eyes fell to the table. "No. I never found out who my parents were, but I don't care now. They had their reasons, and I'm just as strong on my own."

"Yes, you are," he agreed, his eyes tender. "You're remarkably independent and have the best work ethic I've seen, outside my own." He paused and tugged her hands closer to him, forcing her to look back up at him. "However, you're not alone anymore. You've got me. Lean on me. Trust me."

Emotion choked her up, making it hard to breathe or speak. Tears formed at the edges of her eyes, and she blinked them away as she squeezed him harder. 

"Thank you. Neither are you. I hope you know you can tell me anything. I value you and your trust."

"All in good time," he promised, his eyes serious. "I've one or two more personal secrets to share with you yet, but I'll know when the time is right."

Rey nodded in understanding, glad it was all personal stuff. "Of course. Do any of them involve how you acted as a child?"

He smiled. "No, thankfully. Did you know that I take after my father? We're both prone to act first with the slightest of plans. My mother was the one in charge and determined how long we stayed in a particular place while my father was gone for long periods of time, providing for the family and whatnot. I was known to wander off and go looking for him on occasion, always worrying my mother."

"That's sweet."

The conversation continued a little more until food arrived, and then Rey regaled him with horror stories that had them laughing at her foibles, even as he systematically tore apart his blue crabs. The rest of the meal stayed light, and when they finished, they wandered across the bandshell to Neptune's Statue since it was so close by.

"One night soon, we'll come for Symphonicity, the symphony that plays here during the summer. You'll enjoy their concerts, based on your music preferences," he said with authority. 

"I'd like that, almost as much as I'd like to get ice cream on our way home," she said smoothly, leaning against the giant statue.

"Of course you do." He grinned and offered her his arm. "Same place as before, or somewhere different?"

Interlacing her arm with his, she replied, "Different until I've tried them all. I need to find a favorite."

As they walked, they debated which flavor of ice cream was the best. No clear winner was decided, but when they stopped in front of Rey's home, the conversation died. 

"Well, I guess I should go inside and-"

"Wait," he rumbled.

Rey's breath caught as the sound of his voice rushed through her, making her feel weak in the knees. He moved in closer, licking his lips, and Rey's mouth went dry as hers opened. Then, he brought his index finger to his lips before rubbing the wet tip against her cheek. 

She watched with bated breath as he finished rubbing and then licked his finger. 

"You still had chocolate ice cream there," he murmured. "It was bugging me."

"I thought you liked vanilla more," she sassed, leaning in and recognizing the dull ache that started to form between her legs. 

"I do, but I'll make an exception when it's on you," he stated with hungry eyes. "You make everything taste better."

Heat ravaged her as she pressed her legs together, wanting relief. He leaned in closer, until his lips ghosted against the shell of her ear. 

"You taste incredible," he rasped. When one of her hands fisted his shirt, pulling his lips against her ear, he exhaled before smiling against her, nuzzling her ear and nearby hair. "If at any point you don't want this - don’t want me - say so." Her breath hitched as he pulled away, holding her gaze steadily. "Don't let me go on because I'm your boss and you think you have to in order to keep your job. I want you to trust me, not fear me; I want-I think you want this as much as I do, Rey. Good night."

He walked away, and Rey mourned the loss of his presence at once. Shakily she entered her home and leaned against the door, not expecting him to acknowledge the growing tension and intimacy between them. As her heart raced, she felt relieved, even safer, because of it. Knowing he didn't want to force himself on her made her fall for him just a little more. 

She almost went for a swim outside just to wear herself out, but she feared the cold water would make her more awake. Instead, she stripped and crawled into bed, her hands finding her breasts and the soaked juncture of her thighs with practiced ease, rubbing furiously. All she had to do was imagine him growling her name, and she cried his in return, wishing he was there with her. 

To hold and cuddle with her. To comfort her and tell her again and again that she wasn't imagining what existed between them, that what they were doing wasn't wrong because both of them wanted it desperately. 

He couldn't be abusing his power or position if she wanted it just as much, she reasoned. 

She fell asleep soon after, finally feeling wiped out. When she awoke, she slipped into her bikini, hoping again that Ben would be swimming this time. 

She wanted to see his bare chest and play with him in the water until they washed up on the beach, kissing and making out. She dressed eagerly, but there was no sign of him on the beach, as usual. Instead, she grabbed her seafood offering and dove into the water, her mind rapidly changing gears to focus on Kylo. 

The cool breeze and cold ocean woke her up from her lustful daze, and she swam, keeping her eyes out for Kylo. During the first two weeks of swimming, the water was always chilly and full of swirling sand, making it difficult to see, but at least it was calm, barely any waves greeting her. The water warmed by degrees, just as the air did, as summer arrived and came to stay. The sky was bright and cloudless, quiet save for some seagulls, making it easier for Rey to spot the dark blob that she sought underwater. 

For the first week, Kylo would see her and disappear. Finally, he paused one day, and she had held up her hands, showing him the fresh fish she had bought two days before at Ben's favorite market, figuring she might tempt Kylo closer with food. Visiting the market had felt off to her for some reason, even though she was one of only two patrons at the place, but if the food attracted Kylo, it was worth it. 

Sure enough, he slowly crawled across the sea bottom on two tentacles toward her, until half the distance was closed. When he paused, she tried to step forward, but he seemed ready to move backward, so she stayed where she was, letting go of the fish and moving backwards. 

When she was a sufficient distance away, Kylo crawled head first toward the fish offering, gripping it with two tentacles before eating it whole. 

Rey had thought Kylo had a beak like other octopuses, but he seemed to have a mouth. He didn't inject any deadly saliva into the fish, but perhaps he realized that the fish was already dead. Once he finished eating the fish, he swam away, and Rey decided to try again.

After several more days of leaving fish, she decided to try fresh blue crabs for him since Ben liked them, and she continued to bring blue crabs for the rest of the week. She discovered then that he did have toxic saliva, using the suckers on his tentacles to hold the crab in place before biting into it and separating it. 

The day before, when she had pitched her great idea to Ben, she had left Kylo a crab, and he had moved in slightly closer, enough that she could almost make out his exact shape in the water. That morning, she left him another crab, and he ate the crab and closed the gap between them, one tentacle length between them.

It was at that distance that she could finally study him better. The two tentacles he used to crawl on the ocean floor acted like the "legs" other octopuses did, and he did have two "arms" that originated higher than the rest of the tentacles, which she found fascinating. 

The shape of his head had interested her previously since it seemed to change, and at this close distance, the head almost seemed like it had hair that undulated in the water, making the head seem flared. His yellow eyes were hard to focus on, but they were just as piercing as Ben's gaze. She also noted that the head narrowed at one point, as though he had a neck, and the two arms jutted out just below the neck. 

For a time, neither moved as they studied one another. Finally, she swam to the surface, as she was running out of air. To her shock, his head darted out of the water, his black body contrasting greatly with the particles of light that glittered on the water. She was fascinated by the ridges on his skin, the little whorls and raised bumps spread throughout his head, as though constellations and galaxies covered him. Without the water to cloud her vision, she saw human eyes look back at her, and they seemed familiar, even if she couldn't explain why. 

Adrenaline raced through her veins, and she yearned to draw nearer, to understand those eyes. She moved forward, heart pounding and entranced by his eyes, and he let her until she was just out of arm's reach of him. 

At that, one tentacle poked out of the water, as though to stop her, and another two wrapped around her wrists, ensuring only her legs moved to keep her afloat. The suckers pressed into her skin, the sensation odd but not unwelcome, and the tips of those two tentacles rested in her palms, allowing both to explore the other. His skin was rubbery smooth wherever there weren't bumps, and she loved the feel of it and the hard ridges of chitin. 

The longer she stayed there with him, the more her body relaxed. Curiosity raced through her, making her feel giddy and light-headed with excitement to be so close to him. He seemed to understand as a soft sound, almost like purr, rumbled through him. The suckers sent pleasant pinpricks of heat to her wrists and hands, and when she accidentally squeezed the other tentacle too hard, eager to feel him, he let go of her and vanished, much to her disappointment. 

It only made her more determined to get close to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!!


	4. Growing Intimate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the tentacles have arrived in a fashion, and there is the smallest amount of angst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks as always to [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl) for the beta read!
> 
> And thank you as always to [WinglessOne](WinglessOne) for making the moodboard!

The next day, the sky was cloudy and gray, and the waves were picking up, making the water colder. She brought a fish and another blue crab. It took her longer to see him that day, no doubt because he was still scared. When he wouldn’t venture much closer, she gave him both items as a means of apologizing. As she swam away, he consumed both offerings quickly. For a moment, he floated in the water, and then suddenly, he was jetting toward her, until he was almost as close as the day before. Rey froze and waited for him to come to her. When he didn’t, she swam in place until she was forced to seek air. He followed her up, waving a tentacle at her before splashing her and swimming away.

Rey didn’t know what to make of his behavior for she had never seen an octopus do that before. She puzzled over the strange behavior as she began work, barely noticing Ben. Ben, however, saw her and the scrunched nose she had wherever she was thinking hard about something.

“Good morning, Rey,” he said, running a hand down her shoulder. “Sleep well? Enjoy your swim?”

She was so proud of herself for not flinching when he appeared out of nowhere and touched her. It had taken her a week to stop doing that, and Ben had looked hurt by it, even when she explained why. Now, she had grown to like it, and the familiar presence was welcome since she couldn’t explain the odd behavior.

“Hi, Ben. Yes and yes. However, I saw Kylo again, and he did something puzzling. Have you ever seen him wave a tentacle or splash you?”

He grinned. “No, he’s never done that to me; you must be special. What’s your secret?”

She blushed, protesting immediately as she turned around. “I’m not special. I just bring him food to bribe him to come closer so I can examine him and get to know him more.”

“And?” he prompted, stepping closer. “Have you seen his shape better now?”

“Yes. He’s like an octopus in many respects, but I just don’t understand where he would’ve learned to wave and splash me.”

He shook his head indulgently. “I think I understand. If he’s been living here for a while, wouldn’t you imagine he’s watched others splash and wave to friends and family?”

“Oh.” Her eyes lit up, and a grin split her face. “He likes me!”

His eyes grew softer as he took in her face and blush. “Yes, he does.”

“I hope I don’t have to keep bringing him two pieces of seafood every time; there’s not that much space in my tiny fridge,” she mused aloud, eyes far away. “I hope he’ll come closer.”

His hand squeezed hers comfortingly. “I’m sure he will if he likes you. You just have to not scare him away with sudden movements.”

It never occurred to her to ask how he knew that; she simply got defensive. “I didn’t mean to,” she insisted, stepping closer. “Honest.”

He gave her a knowing smile. “I believe you. Do you care about him already?”

“I do,” she admitted, making him let out the breath he had been holding. “He’s very large, but he seems gentle and kind.” She paused, wanting to ask a question that had been bugging her since talking to Maz. 

When Ben saw her unspoken question, he nodded. “Ask away, Rey.”

She hemmed and hawed before blurting, “Why did you build your lab here? Was it because you discovered Kylo here?” 

He gave her a deer-in-the-headlights look, clearly taken aback. Recovering, he cleared his throat. “Yes, it was because of him that I set-up here. He’s very important to me.”

“He’s important to me as well,” she confessed, cheeks turning pink. “The problem is I think he’s afraid of me, and I don’t like it.”

“You’ll win him over soon, I’m sure,” he said, threading his fingers with hers. “Give him a chance to explore you.”

That nugget of wisdom she took with her to the ocean the next morning. The day was already hazy and humid when she met the gentler, warmer water. She brought only a crab, and he approached without hesitation after she dropped it and waved to him. When he was just out of reach, he enjoyed his gift, and she went up for air soon after. When he appeared after that, he splashed her again, and she splashed him back with a playful grin. Two tentacles shot forward, examining her hands before one tentacle wove in between her fingers. At first he simply rested there with her, and then he slid more of him between her fingers, pressing his tip along various parts of her forearm and bicep before applying the suckers to her skin to hold her in place.

Rey let him explore to his heart’s content, enjoying touching more of him and seeing how the whole tentacle looked as it slid through her fingers. As his suckers vibrated on her skin, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the pulses of heat he gave her. It wasn’t long before her other hand and arm received the same treatment, and she hummed with interest. 

Then, another tentacle went for her right foot, tapping on various toes experimentally, making her giggle from being ticklish. He paused at her giggle, and then he tickled her again, watching to see her reaction. 

When she laughed, another tentacle found her other foot, and she belly-laughed from that, kicking her legs a little in an effort to make him stop, even if he didn’t know why she did it. Instead, it seemed to have the opposite effect, making him want to toy with her toes and the soles of her feet more until her whole body was shaking with laughter. However, eventually she was worn out from laughter, so she decided to trust him, letting her legs drift up to the surface. As soon as she was floating, he nudged his tentacles between her toes to the best of his ability, something slippery and warm being secreted onto them, allowing them to stretch just a little more.

In the back of her mind, she made a note to examine what he had just done to her feet later and see if she could make him do it again. For science, naturally. Not because her feet felt  _ amazing,  _ especially once his suckers found her toes and gave her feet something of a massage. 

Rey would’ve happily laid there all morning with him, his soft purrs growing louder as his head drew closer to her. It was … different being restrained by him, but she found she rather liked it. She liked it so much that she felt a familiar dull ache between her legs, her body turned on by his gentle handling of her. It was easy to let go of her insecurities and simply trust him to enjoy the present moment.

It wasn’t until she heard kids screaming some miles away that she opened her eyes and looked up, noting how high the sun was in the sky.

“Ben.”

The moment she whimpered his name in horror at forgetting about him, Kylo let go of her, still remaining close as he noticed how much tension entered her body. Grateful that he understood, she waved goodbye to him before making the swim back to shore. It wasn’t until she was leaving the waves that she looked, realizing that Kylo was still there, floating at the surface and watching her. When he saw her stop moving, he waved a tentacle before disappearing into the depths.

There was something comforting and beautiful about it, and it sat with Rey for the rest of the day. When she entered the lab, she was shocked to see Ben not there. Then, he was running in, wet hair flying about as he looked for her.

“Rey, my apologies. Something came up-”

“It’s fine, honest,” she said, smiling softly. “Something wonderful happened and kept me as well.”

“What’s that?” He moved in closer, eyes lighting with interest. 

She met him halfway. “Kylo played with me. I think we really bonded today! I’m excited to see him tomorrow already.”

His smile was blinding. “Good. If he keeps you again, don’t feel bad about missing work. Consider it mandatory from me to learn as much about him as possible.”

“Thank you,” she said, blushing. “I’m enjoying it a lot.” Probably too much, based on the fact that she was still slightly aroused just thinking about Kylo and his tentacles, but Ben didn’t need to know that.

His eyes held hers meaningfully, as if seeing into her mind. “I’m sure he is, too. I imagine he’s quite lonely out there. He needs someone.”

Her blush grew deeper. “Everyone needs someone.”

No doubt, he meant that everyone needed a friend, a companion of some sort. The problem was that her feet were tingling from whatever liquid Kylo put on them, and it made her feel warm all over. 

“We do.” His hand brushed against her wrist, and Rey felt a spike of heat lance through her. The heat seared her the longer he touched her, upturning her wrist to take note of the imprints that Kylo’s suckers had left on her flesh. “He must have been holding you for some time. You’re not in pain, are you?”

“Pain, me?” she panted, enjoying the rough skin of his fingers rubbing circles into her wrist. “No. Not at all. Q-quite the opposite, I assure you.”

Something dark and hungry entered his eyes as his nostrils flared. “Very good. Enjoy the rest of your day, Rey. I’ll see you at lunch.”

It had to be Rey’s imagination that he looked at her like she was his meal, right? Or maybe it was her sudden wave of horniness talking. Either way, she was intensely aware of Ben every time he visited her, at lunch and dinner. His body kept brushing against hers, and it sent her into overdrive with sensations. She was torn between begging him to resolve the burning ache between her legs and just cuddling into him, so she did neither, grateful when he disappeared after dinner.

She made her normal walk down to the market to pick up more seafood for Kylo, and she still felt weirded out as she did every other time, as though she were being watched. She couldn't explain why, as there was no one there besides employees and the same red-headed customer, but she felt like she was being judged for buying the same seafood every time. She shook it off, focusing on Kylo instead. 

When she got home, she was still on edge more than usual, trembling with need for  _ something _ . Hidden under her covers, she imagined Ben sneaking behind her and sliding his gigantic hands down her pants and slipping inside, eager to help her stop the ache. 

"Come for me, Sweetheart," he whispered, making her mewl as she tried to obey him.

However, her thighs were slick, and her core even more so. Ben's reassuring touches and pats all day left her with ruined panties, and her fingers slipped out too easily, making her unable to bring herself to completion. Digging around, she found her vibrator, holding it in place because it also wanted to slide out. Putting it on its second-highest setting, she leaned against the headboard, hips rocking up as she pictured Ben pounding into her again and again at a punishing pace.

“Ben, Ben, oh please, Ben!”

She rose higher and higher, so close to her peak. Adjusting the position slightly sent her careening to the edge, and as she held her hands there, she thought of Kylo, holding her in place as he filled her just the way she liked with a tentacle. The flames of need within her turned molten.

“Kylo!”

With a flick of her clit, she was gone, jumping off the precipice into the unknown, waves upon waves of pleasure rocking her world. With an exhausted sigh, she plopped down, her lower body still chasing that vibrator as though she hadn’t just had the best orgasm of her life. 

Turning off the device, she tried to sleep, but her body was restless. She tossed and turned for hours, refusing to do anything about the ache between her legs. She had never had two orgasms right after one another despite trying, so there was no point to do something about it. When she finally did fall asleep, she dreamed she was on a beach, spread out like a starfish. When a familiar heat appeared, she groaned in frustration, only for Ben to appear. 

“Sweetheart, are you wet for me?”

She glanced up at him through fluttering eyelashes. “Yes. Help me, Ben.”

“Anything for you.” His lips were warm and needy. His fingers found her center, she was embarrassed by how easily he slid into her. “Such a good girl. I know just how to take care of you.”

“Please, Ben,” she whimpered, moaning when his arms held hers down before pistoning into her, his speed steadily increasing.

When she was just about to come, she felt Ben’s cock change shape, thickening pleasurably, and when she blinked, Ben had Kylo’s body, his soft, quivering tentacles wrapped around her everywhere.

"Come for me, Rey," he demanded, showing her how wet she was for him by pulling out and letting her see how he glistened with her arousal. "I know you want me."

She woke with a start, and when she sat up in shock, sweat and her own fluids had ruined the bed sheets. Somehow, not even that fever dream had helped her, even though she had come close. 

She was a little ashamed that she was imagining Kylo so much, but she shoved those thoughts away to examine later. Thankfully, it didn’t take much to finish her off that time, and she got out of bed to change her sheets afterward. 

Thankfully, the sun had recently risen, so Rey ditched her pajamas for her bikini, now more curious than ever Kylo. If the day before had been warm, today was steamy, the water even more so as the bright sun shone unflinchingly, drenching all it touched with heat. There was a slight undercurrent in the water that day, which made her laps more interesting, but she barely got a lap in before he appeared. When he did, she was ready, waving him forward and body tingling in anticipation. She held onto the crab until he was within arm’s length, and then she offered it to him. 

When two of his tentacles took it, she tentatively reached out a hand to touch his head, and when he didn’t shy away, she ran her hand up and down his ridged skin a little before pulling back to let him eat. When he finished, he followed her to the surface and eagerly circled her wrists and ankles, running the length of his tentacles along her legs. The ones at her wrists stayed near her hands, threading between her fingers briefly before letting her run her hand across the tip. 

As memories of the day before came back to her, her fingers circled the tip of one tentacle, and something viscous and white oozed from it. Zeroing in on the secretion, she rubbed it on two fingers, finding it warm and slick, reminding her of lubricant in how it soothed and warmed her skin. As he watched her, she brought the fingers covered in the thick, white liquid to her nose. Finding it to have a very light scent, like seaweed, she brought it to her lips, her scientist mind wanting to know everything. 

Sucking her fingers into her mouth, she moaned and closed her eyes in pleasure, bolts of desire careening through her body. Her legs clenched around nothing, and she feared she was having another reaction like the day before.

And that was when it hit her: that lubricant, or whatever it was, was an aphrodisiac. 

And she had just put some in her mouth. Brilliant.

This was going to be a long day. 

Rey remained with him for some time longer, growing more aroused by the way he slithered around her legs, drawing closer to the junction of her thighs but never quite there. It was a time for both of them to grow more comfortable around the other, with slow, tentative touches and exploration until she was afraid that she was taking advantage of Ben. She left Kylo reluctantly, and a dull ache remained between her legs all day, making her wonder just what that white liquid was, if it was for mating. Ben didn't stand quite as close to her that day out of respect to her, but she wanted no part of that, burning for him and missing his presence. At dinner, she beckoned him closer to taste the sauce she had created, backing up until his front was flush with her back. 

Suddenly, the ache between her legs ramped up, heat flaring through her veins. Touching Ben's clothed body was bad enough, but when his hand covered hers to bring the spoon to his mouth, she was embarrassed by the white-hot  _ need _ that filled her. 

She was almost certain that she had ruined a pair of underwear from that one swipe of his hand. When he went to taste, his tongue flicked out, longer than she had expected. Internally, she sighed in frustration, and luckily, he let go of her after that, even if he remained close. She remained on edge until she left his presence for the night.

Whatever that white liquid was, it was definitely for mating and reproduction. She couldn't remember the last time she had been aroused so fast or easily. For fear of ruining the bed with how aroused she was, she leaned against her door, one hand gripping it tightly while the other was on her vibrator, which was going at the highest setting inside her. As she yelled Ben's name, she felt a temporary reprieve from the burning inside, only for it to flare back to life within minutes. 

Groaning with exertion, she lowered the setting and let the buzzing slowly build and overtake her, hips bucking more and more until even the door shook. When she was panting, she circled her clit, but nothing happened. Pinching her nipples and imagining it was Ben didn't help, either. Groaning in frustration, she thought about the tentacle that had held her, and how it would feel inside her, thick and pumping her full with his own version of cum just like in her dream. At that, she came with a guttural scream, absolutely wrecked. 

She had to shower after that, and then she slept well. That night, however, she dreamed of wild things, of tentacles holding her arms and legs in place in bed as Ben's lips plundered hers, his erection pounding into her, at least until the end. Then, he pulled away, showing who had been behind him the whole time. 

"We're going to fill you so good," said Ben as Kylo's ridged, thick tentacle stopped at her entrance. At Ben's nod, he plunged into her, filling her as far as she could take him. 

As she threw her head back, she opened her legs as far as she could, drinking in the hungry looks of Ben and Kylo as Kylo's tentacle slid in and out of her, her slick covering him and getting everywhere. 

"She's ready," said Ben, grinning as he knelt over her, positioning his cock at her entrance. "We're going to ruin you, Sweetheart, in the best of ways."

As soon as he entered her, she woke with a start, angry that the dream had stopped there. 

The bed was a mess, and she decided that she wouldn't be licking that white liquid anymore, for fear of what it did to her. She was cursing it under her breath until she finally fell back asleep. 

As she attempted to fall asleep, she wondered if Kylo was like other octopuses and had a hectocotylus with his sperm sac on the end of it. Science  _ demanded  _ she find out. 

When she woke from more restless sleep, she was out of her home quickly after that, crab in hand and body on edge. It wasn’t as humid that day, but there was an edge to the breeze as it whipped around Rey’s three buns that she always wore while swimming and in general. The cooler water was refreshing under the unforgiving sun, and by the time she spotted Kylo, he was already heading toward her. That time, he let her swim around him and skim her hands along other parts of his head while he enjoyed his crab. He purred loudly when she touched the area where she imagined his neck to be, and she made a mental note of that for later, going lower to look at the ends of his tentacles. She searched for the special reproductive arm, but could find no sign of the arm, on the third right one or otherwise. All of his tentacles were shaped similarly. When he finished with the crab, he poked her side before taking hold of her legs and running his suckers along the soles of her feet. 

At first, he tickled her, and she bobbed about, bubbles appearing as she held in laughter and began to run out of air. As her body tensed, his alert eyes swept over her, two tentacles looping and suctioning to her waist before pulling her up to get air. Once she sucked up several large breaths of air, she shivered from the cold, and Kylo made a mournful noise before heat spread all over her midsection. She didn’t know how Kylo knew that she was cold, but she loved it. Loved how he seemed to notice everything about her and wanted to touch her everywhere. 

She drew closer to his head and made a pleased noise in the back of her throat, and it was as though she had spoken his language. He purred loudly, one tentacle sliding along her face before trailing down to her feet. Another one found her other foot, and they gathered around her whole foot, growing hot to the touch, all of the suckers working in tandem to press against her feet, massaging the heat into her. Rey closed her eyes as she hummed and leaned back, wanting to float on top of the water. Kylo seemed to recognize it and gave her a little more leash as he continued to press heat around her as she settled. She spread out her arms and legs to float, opening herself up to him. Two more tentacles came forward, looping around her arms in a vice-like grip. 

The only difference was that the suckers continued to massage her limbs with warmth, making her feel more relaxed. If she had been cold before, she wasn’t anymore. Now she felt like she was flying, sun shining and warmth blanketing her. Most of all, she felt safe. She trusted Kylo implicitly, and the only thing she craved was more of his touch, wanting to feel him everywhere. At least until one tentacle on her thigh moved higher, the tip grazing her bikini bottom, the part covering her center. At that point, all she wanted was for him to touch her  _ more.  _ Heat lanced through her body, and she felt new wetness gather between her legs. On reflex, she closed her legs and tried to capture the tentacle there, but he was too fast, letting go of her with a disgruntled sound and swimming away. 

She ended up going back to her home, a little ashamed that she was turned on by Kylo, even without the mating lubricant. When had she gone from studying and admiring sea creatures to something else entirely?

She thought she was safe at work, but she wasn’t, as she had forgotten just how much she liked Ben. He hung around her all day, constantly brushing past her or even against her while she cooked. His hooded eyes and little touches throughout the day left her on edge.

Rey had never felt more frustrated in her life. That night, she touched herself as she usually did, but it wasn't enough. Her fingers were too small to do more than start her on her ascent to her orgasm, and deep down, she wanted to feel that tentacle against her. Taking out her bulbous vibrator, she squeezed it between her legs and threw her arms out, just as earlier that morning. She imagined Ben restraining her, and she grew wetter immediately, moaning in response. Then, she imagined him massaging her arms and legs as he thrust inside her with a tentacle, its bulbous head stuffing her just the way she needed it. Heat and need spun her faster, pushing her closer to her peak. 

"Please, Ben. Harder," she begged, turning up the setting. 

Moments later, she screamed Ben's name into the dark cottage, whimpering with the aftershocks. 

As she wrestled with her sheets, she couldn’t believe it, but she hoped that Kylo would touch her again. She wore a more skimpy bikini the next day, which worked out because the sun was blazing, the heat stifling as she practically ran for the rolling ocean waves that beckoned her under. Diving in, she basked in the warmer water that created a comfortable bubble around her. Armed with her normal offering of a blue crab, she was encouraged when Kylo didn't even hesitate to come to her when he saw her wave. She secretly hoped she could stop buying so much crab and just have him approach her willingly, so she decided to try that next time. Meanwhile, he took the crab from her hands, and one arm wrapped itself around her waist, his suckers leaving small love bites of warmth along the skin there. 

When he finished feeding, they swam to the surface, and Rey reached out a hand for his neck. When he didn’t dodge her, she swam until she could press the length of her body against his, rubbing herself all along him like a cat in heat. As her hardened nipples brushed against his ridges, she moaned uncontrollably, and she only grew louder as his tentacles wrapped themselves around her legs. When she tried to rub her hips against him, needy for friction amid the growing wetness, the tip of a tentacle tentatively brushed against her clothed core, testing her reaction. Her body  _ sang.  _ Desire coiled within her, tension and heat filling her everywhere. She had never felt more alive. Instead of trying to hold him, she opened her legs to him, to encourage him to explore more as she closed her eyes. 

Sure enough, the tip ran along the length of her slit, stopping at her ass. When his suckers grazed against her puckered hole, she yelped, the tension within her ratcheting exponentially despite being clothed. It surprised her, but she decided she might need to think about getting something for her butt after that, if this was how good it could feel. 

She had never thought she would be into anal, but now she was beginning to question that. He felt so good all over, and she desperately wanted to feel more of his tentacle inside her, or at the very least touching her. Opening her eyes, those surprisingly human eyes of his bore into hers, and she silently pleaded with him as she slowly closed her legs, wanting to keep him there. When he didn’t pull away, she sighed in satisfaction, closing around him. Her hands ran along the length of the tentacle that she could reach. One hand slid along the ridged skin while the other played with his suckers, showing him she meant no harm as she pressed him harder against her. The black tentacles touching her turned red, and she crowed in excitement that he was aroused by her. It wasn’t just her; he felt it, too.

When the tentacle between her legs began to vibrate as the suckers pressed harder against her with their heat, she whimpered, "Kylo."

Everything felt incredible as he gave her the pressure and friction she needed. She rolled her hips at the same time she cried out, and he stopped a second, seemingly surprised by her uttering his name, as though he understood her. Then, his tentacle moved faster, making her moan his name again. Pleasure built faster within her, and she began to reach for her orgasm, running her hands along his tentacle to encourage him on. New slickness between her legs made the bikini move more easily, and she yearned to rip it off and remove all barriers between them. 

When she accidentally tightened her grip too much on his tentacles, he untangled himself from her and left, and she groaned in frustration, cursing her impulsiveness. As she left the water dripping, she dashed for her home, the too-humid air and blistering sand making her wish she were back in the water with Kylo, him buried inside of her. That time, she went back to her cottage and did get herself off before going to work, for fear of another frustrating day.

However, Ben was even more friendly that day. 

"I've decided I'm going to follow you around today. I've left you alone too much recently. I promise you'll barely know I'm here," he said before going behind her. 

It meant him standing close to her as she worked, his hands occasionally going to her hips to hold her in place as she leaned over. It meant lingering touches and whispered praise and endearments in her ear that made her heart feel fuzzy and toes curl. 

"You're doing so well. I'm so proud of you," he whispered at one point as she finished one of the more difficult tasks. "I almost wish there was something wrong just so I have an excuse to stay close and help you more, but you don't need me anymore."

"You're wrong," she declared, turning her head to face him. "I always need you."

His tender eyes sent tingles of awareness through her. "Not as much as I need you."

She continued the work after that, pleased that he liked her work so much and approved of her. When she said she was making sushi for lunch, he practically dragged her away from work, watching intently since he loved it and had never made it before. His front was flush with her back, arms looped around her waist. 

"You don't mind me being here like this, do you?" he asked in her ear.

"No, not at all," she answered honestly. 

It was hard to ignore the fresh wave of arousal that hit her, as she loved that he still checked with her about her comfort level with him, even if he couldn't hold her close enough for her liking. 

"Good. I've half a mind to take you out to dinner tonight, just so I can dance with you," he murmured softly. "I've been thinking about it ever since we went to Waterman's."

"I'd love to do that. But is it proper for us since you're my boss?" she asked, hating to kill the mood.

She thought he would let go, but his grip only tightened around her. "Dancing doesn't mean we're a couple, but some could see it that way if we dance in public. I'm a terrible dancer-"

"I'm worse," interrupted Rey, turning to smile at him. "However, I think I know a way we can dance together here. After dinner."

His face moved in until it almost touched hers. "Perfect. Thank you."

"You're the boss allowing this. I should be thanking you," she replied, grinning.

He pulled away a little. "Do you really see me as just your boss? Or is there more?"

Conflict raced through her. She did see him that way, and she wanted everything imaginable with Ben, a working and personal relationship. 

More than once, she had dreamed of marrying him, of working in the lab together with their children. 

But Ben wasn't the one whom she was physical with. Her body burned with need for Kylo. 

"I, I'm not sure what I feel right now. I'm a little confused," she admitted, not sure how to explain to him that she liked both him and Kylo. "I really like you, but-"

"But that's not enough for me," he said, hanging his head dejectedly before meeting her eyes. "I'm falling for you, Rey. Fast."

Her hands flew out. "So am I! But-"

"Then why are you confused?" he asked, voice rising. "It makes no sense." When he saw her eyes grow watery, he backed up. "Never mind. I shouldn't be demanding anything. You're allowed to have reasons and feel differently. Come find me when you're not confused. Excuse me."

He bustled out, and she felt sad, unsure what to do next. Thankfully, there was plenty of work to do, between feeding and setting up the blog. Thankfully, the rest of the day went by quickly , but the nighttime after dinner dragged. 

She forgot just how few people she knew in Virginia Beach. She felt so bitterly alone, so she called Rose. Rose talked her ear off about her new boyfriend, and when Rey mentioned wanting to try anal, Rose promised to send her her favorite set of plugs through Amazon as a housewarming gift. Their conversation distracted Rey from her loneliness that night until she went to bed. Her dreams that night continued to have both Ben and Kylo in them, leaving her just as confused. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I promise the angst doesn't last long.


	5. Indecisions and Mounting Frustration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rey reconciles with Ben and Kylo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday! Some fluff and smut to start your weekend.
> 
> Many thanks to [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl) for beta reading!
> 
> And if you love the moodboard like I do, go check out  
> [WinglessOne](WinglessOne)

The next morning, Rey woke up refreshed for once. 

That was the high point of her day. 

The ocean had turned over while storms had raged during the night, and the surging waves only added to the general chill surrounding Rey. The air was much colder than usual outside due to the large, gray clouds on the horizon that threatened more rain and storms. She didn’t think she would stay out long, so she didn't bring a blue crab, hoping Kylo was ready. However, he was wary, dancing around her but never quite touching her. It was interesting to watch him move about, but he never initiated contact. 

She swam about instead, staying close to her home. When she happened upon a large fish caught in plastic loops that held six pop cans, she tried her hardest to pull the litter apart to set the fish free, but to no avail. She was too weak. Just when she was about to give up, Kylo surged forward, two tentacles grasping the plastic and another looping around the fish. In moments, the fish was set free, and Rey smiled at their savior as Kylo swam away, leaving her with the litter. 

It was satisfying to know that even if he didn’t like or trust her, he still cared about other creatures and wasn’t only interested in his baser instincts, eating whatever he saw. She indulged herself by imagining they were alike in their goal in that respect, wanting to take care of the environment and protecting the wildlife. And, he wasn’t afraid to help her, despite their distance. It gave her hope that they would get close again later. 

As she journeyed back to shore, she found herself wondering what would happen when he did approach her again. She wasn't sure how she had hurt his feelings beyond not bringing food. Did he have favorite foods like Ben? Had she seemed tense? 

She wanted to repair their relationship, to do more together in the sea with their common goals. It would be fun to explore more of the ocean with him, to see what other new species were out there, as well as help the environment. 

And there was that small part of her that wanted Kylo to hold her like a lover and touch her. 

There was so much they could do together, and it never occurred to her to question the fact that she saw Kylo as more of a person that a mindless animal. 

As a result, she was inordinately pleased when he waved back to her after she waved goodbye to him. 

Likewise, Ben was more distant that day, but she understood why. It was weird not having him close, and she missed him dreadfully. 

Missed his smiles and presence. Missed their random conversations about anything and nothing. 

She took a long walk after work, trying to find more crab, but all she could find was fish. That, too, was frustrating. She couldn't shake the sense that someone was spying on her, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end, and the employees couldn't help her. And, when she finally settled for marlin, some sneering redheaded dude bumped into her, knocking her and her fish over without so much as an apology. 

Worst. Day. Ever. 

As she huffed and puffed outside, jogging to beat the rain home, she reflected that it was probably a good thing that neither Kylo nor Ben had touched her that day. She was not clouded by desire, and she could reflect on her relationship with both of them. 

Ben was everything she had ever wanted in a guy, and he cared about her. Respected her and her limits. The only problem was he was her boss, but even that felt weak now. He was in charge, but he never forced her. 

Kylo was an unusual creature who could think and who seemed to care about her. He also distrusted her, but given that they couldn't speak or communicate well, she didn't blame him. All the same, he starred in her fantasies more and more, and she yearned to know what his tentacles really felt like inside of her. It was so wrong, and she had no idea how to explain that to Ben.

Instead of figuring it out, she buried it deep within her as it began to thunder and downpour, telling herself that the problem would resolve itself on its own. That Ben would forget, and Kylo would welcome her back. 

However, no such thing happened. 

Two more gloomy, stormy days like the previous one happened in quick succession, and they were long, lonely days. Even when she brought two fish, Kylo avoided touching her still, seemingly insulted she brought fish instead of crab. Ben continued to give her space and never appeared at meals, acknowledging her by giving her tools for work and space in the kitchen, even leaving handwritten notes in his loopy script to thank her for the food and hard work. But he never talked to her.

It was in that mindset that she went out shopping once more in the pouring rain, and there were still no more blue crabs to be found. Sharp pangs of disappointment burst through her, but then she had to ask herself: why?

If Kylo was only interested in her because of food, he wasn't worth her time or sexual frustration. He was just using her to get fed, and she hated it. Yes, she was using him to fulfill her fantasies, but she also wanted friendship or something more with him, even if they couldn't talk. It wasn't the same. 

Disgusted with herself, she stormed home, determined not to bring food anymore. He wasn't worth it. Her fantasies still included him, but she could get over that with time.

Or so she hoped.

The next day, the stormfront finally left, leaving fluffy white clouds and warm, humid air. When she swam in the cloudy, cool water, her pulse quickened when she saw Kylo. He started swimming slowly toward her easily, and when he saw no food, he stopped and made a low noise within, like a snort. She turned her nose up and swam for the surface, too annoyed to even wave.

She didn't see the way Kylo shook before darting after her, but she heard him breach the waves. She turned around, surprised when he appeared so close. 

"What do you want? I'm not bringing you food anymore. I'm done studying you. I don't have to do this." She waved her hands about, shaking her head. "I'm here because I like you, not that you can understand a word of this."

She started to swim away, but a tentacle wrapped around her wrist, pulling her back. She fought it, trying to slide it off. He only suctioned to her more. Groaning in exasperation, she turned to face him.

"No! I'm done with this. I hate you right now. I hate you so much." At that, Kylo let go, and she breathed deeply. "Thank you. I still hate you. Do you have any idea how much I dream about you and your tentacles?" She groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "Because of you, I'm so confused. I don’t know if I want you or a real man more. I'm a terrible person."

She was about to swim away when his tentacle reached out once more, this time tapping her open palm. Surprised by his change, she stopped and watched him draw closer, letting out sad chirrups. When he was less than a foot away from her, two tentacles rose out of the water, close to her face. Confused by what he wanted, she let him come closer. Then, he used both tentacles to cup her face, sliding the backs along her skin. 

She leaned into the touch. It was so soft and sweet, and she liked it way more than she should. "Well, maybe I don't hate you quite as much as I want, but still," she mumbled. "I wish I could have both of you somehow." 

He chittered at that and brought his head forward, until her forehead pressed against him. It left her breathless and confused until he moved away and let go to wave goodbye. She left after waving, and she felt a little better about things between her and Kylo. 

Ben, however, was still a mystery. He kept his distance again, at least until the end of the day. She was chopping vegetables viciously, taking out all her anger and unresolved sexual tension on the helpless carrots and celery. As caught up in food preparation as she was, she never even noticed Ben watching her. 

As she brought the sharp knife back for another whack, a giant hand engulfed her wrist. "Calm down, Rey. The veggies never did anything to you."

"You have to apply enough force to cut through these," she grumbled, not looking at him and trying to ignore how  _ good _ it felt to be close to him, and even better that he was making the effort to stop her.

"Yes, but this is too much. You're liable to hurt yourself, and I don't want that, or to deal with your blood."

He let go, and she set down the knife next to the backsplash before turning to face him. Crossing her arms, she quipped, "You a vampire or something?"

"Or something," he said with a smirk, moving closer. His hand reached for her face, and he seemed to recall that he was supposed to be avoiding her, yanking his hand down and shifting uncomfortably. "How are you? It's been too long since we talked."

He had it as bad as she did. In admitting that mentally, she came to the stunning realization that she had fallen very hard for him, and despite the short time elapsed for such deep feelings, it felt  _ right _ . The last couple days apart had shown her everything she missed about him, which was  _ everything _ . It was a little scary to know he could affect her moods so much, and yet, why should it?

Unlike all the other men she had dated, Ben was someone she could trust. He genuinely cared about her and didn't push her. 

If anything he didn't push enough. And after being separated for so long, at least by their standards, he couldn't resist her any more than she could him. His physical touch had quickly become her anchor and something she loved, making her appreciate it as much as he did. 

Seeing him struggle so much made her insides feel like warm honey. This was nice. This was something she couldn't have with Kylo. This connection was far more valuable to her than having a tentacle inside her, and if she really wanted it, she was sure that Ben could be persuaded to use a toy … after she warmed him up to the idea. 

"It has been too long. It's been alright, I guess. Just more frustrating and-"

"Lonely," he said, finishing her sentence. "I've always been rejected by others and on my own, but this …"

His hands flew about helplessly as he huffed, "I've never known loneliness like this before."

Her heart broke just a little more, knowing  _ exactly  _ how he felt. The words flowed out of her, unable to hide her true feelings. "Because for once in your life, you found a meaningful connection with someone. To know and experience that connection, and then to go without him is like killing your other half. I hate it."

"Me too," he agreed, moving in and cupping her face that time. When she smiled slightly, his whole face lit up. "I've missed this, our little talks. How you always understand me." As his thumb brushed her cheek, he murmured, "The feel of you, having you close like this, is my port in the storm, the peace I always sought but never found." Closing his eyes, he admitted, "I've missed you."

If he was trying to guilt her into liking and choosing him, he was doing a bang-up job. However, at some level, she knew he wasn't trying to manipulate her. He had never lied to her, and he had been fairly upfront about his feelings, not to mention his desire to not take advantage of her. 

He cared about her, pure and simple. Even if she appeared to not like him, he still cared. 

It was that simple fact that finally broke her. She had been angry and lonely, but she had never cried. Seeing him, however, and how much he cared about her and only her, especially to come to her when she was angry and armed, was devotion.

No one had ever cared that much about her. Not even Rose or Amilyn.

Tears formed at her eyes, and his arms looped around her waist, hugging her to his chest. She buried her face against him, covering his white shirt in tears. "I've missed you, too," she sobbed. "I don't understand why I'm crying-"

"Shh, I've got you. Don't worry. You're safe," he said. "I'll always be here for you, even if only as a friend."

She felt sick as soon as he mentioned just friends. They could never be just that anymore. 

She wanted him. 

Her head jerked up, one hand grabbing fistfuls of his hair as the other pulled his face down to hers. She kissed him roughly, sliding her tongue in and savoring him the way she had missed, moaning when he nipped at her lips. Their lips remained locked on one another until she had to come up for air, faces pink with exertion.

"What if I want more than just a friend or boss?" she asked breathlessly. 

She had never seen a more incandescent smile. "Then I'm yours. Completely and irrevocably," he rasped before kissing her again. "I've been yours ever since you agreed to work for me."

Her breath hitched. "Ben-"

"I'm not expecting you to love me yet. We'll take it slow," he promised. "Just know I'm committed."

"I believe it." She cuddled into his chest as her stomach growled. "I don't feel like cooking anymore."

"Let's order takeout. I know a place. In the meantime, you can show me how to rig up some music so we can dance," he said, eyes sparkling. 

The lab was mostly one large room with tall ceilings, all clean, white, painted metal. Where the ceilings dropped down was where the kitchenette and Ben's office were located, more rooms down the hall from there. 

On the opposite end of the building was a canal that led to the ocean. That canal connected to all the various pools set up for aquatic life, one for the octopuses, the squid, manta rays, and other invertebrates Ben loved to study. There were gates surrounding the pools to prevent people from slipping and falling in, even if Ben actually had them put in to protect his animals. 

In the center of the large room was a concrete walkway that spanned the entirety of the building, various desks and computers set up along the way. Rey found the widest portion of the walkway and set her phone up on it, making a playlist while she waited for Ben to come back from ordering dinner. 

"Food will be here in fifteen minutes. I'm ready to dance," he said, breezing toward her and resting his hands at her hips as she bent over the table. 

"I'm ready, too," she said, getting up. As she moved, she felt a bulge in his pants brush against her, and her body thrummed. 

"How? You don't have any speakers or anything so we can hear the music," he exclaimed, looking around in confusion. 

"Technology has gotten better since then," she said with a grin. "I've got the perfect song for us. Something nice and slow."

He grinned. "I'm ready to be surprised." He held out his hand, and she turned on Lady Gaga's "Shallow" before taking his. He pulled her against him, arms resting comfortably around her waist and neck, and she gripped the front and back of his shirt. 

They slowly swayed as Ben noted, "I don't recognize this song."

"Then you must not listen to the radio or go to the movies much. It was everywhere," she replied, shaking her head. "It's a depressing movie, but I love this song. Listen to these lyrics." She hummed a little before singing, " _ I'm falling. In all the good times I find myself _

_ Longing for a change. And in the bad times I fear myself _ ." She looked up and met his eyes. His were shining with adoration, and she had never felt more wanted. Her arms tightened around him. " _ I'm off the deep end, watch as I dive in. I'll never meet the ground. Crash through the surface, where they can't hurt us. We're far from the shallow now. _ "

He nodded in agreement, lifting her up at her waist to twirl her around in a circle. She laughed and threw her head back, enjoying the moment. As he brought her down, the song changed. 

"Hey, I know this one," he said, ears perking. "Gotta love Bowie."

"Even he wants us to dance," she replied as they moved a little faster. 

When that song ended, someone knocked on the door. Ben handed Rey some cash, and she paused the music to grab their food. After a break for dinner, the two resumed dancing, wanting to listen to the whole playlist. 

At the second to last song, Ben's ears perked up again. "I know this one as well."

"Oh good. I've always liked this song," she stated, moving against him.

"It's a favorite. I've always been a fan of the nighttime," he said. 

"I love the idea of this song," she said, smiling. 

He leaned in and kissed her ear before singing, " _ We're running with the shadows of the night, so baby take my hand, it'll be alright. Surrender all your dreams to me tonight; they'll come true in the end _ ."

She shivered with pleasure, and he kissed her again. "Gladly," she whispered. 

"Thank you." The backs of her legs rubbed against the desk, and she put a hand out to catch herself. Ben quickly pulled her away. "You alright? Want to stop dancing?"

"Yes and no. We only have one more song left, and I think it's special," she said, waiting for the new song to kick in. 

When it did, they both grinned. He bent down and kissed her neck. 

"How did you know, Rey? How do you know me so well?"

"Because I feel the exact same way," she breathed, her heart pounding wildly.

" _ I've been waiting for a girl like you to come into my life _ ," he crooned before kissing her. 

Once he started kissing her, he didn't stop. She didn't want him to. First her lips, then her face, and finally her neck. Her hands got lost in his soft, long hair, and she felt a familiar liquid warmth rush between her legs. 

As soon as her legs hit the desk, he gently pressed her down so her back rested on the surface. She spread her legs out in invitation, eager to have him closer, and as she widened her stance, she grew more wet when she saw that the erection in his pants was more prominent. She wanted no distance between their bodies, the better to feel him against her, and he seemed to read her mind. 

He stepped between her legs, leaving open-mouthed kisses everywhere he could reach and grinding his hips into hers. He left little love bites all over her neck, his lips and tongue stroking the marks afterward, and his hands clutched her hips until he felt a sliver of skin exposed by her shirt. Sliding his hands under her shirt, his fingers roamed across her stomach, causing goosebumps all over. 

At some point, the music stopped playing, but neither noticed nor cared. There were only the heated touches they shared and the little moans of encouragement she voiced that spurred him on. 

However big she had imagined his cock to be before didn't do him justice, she decided, as he continued to press against her. He felt so good pressed up against her already, and that was with clothing on! 

When he angled his hips in just the right way, she made a strangled, animal noise of encouragement, and Ben responded in kind, biting down hard enough on her neck to leave a mark. 

"Ben!"

"Yes," he murmured, sucking and laving the sensitive flesh. "Ben. Your Ben."

Whimpering, she brought him to her lips, kissing him deeply. "I want you, Ben. So much." She needed him to know how much she liked him and wanted this to happen. The  taste of him was addictive, and he let her nibble and work along his jaw and neck, until she found his pulse point. She left her own mark on him there, and she loved how his whole body cradled hers closer, seeking more of her.

They continued making out on the table until Rey accidentally sent a stapler flying to the hard ground. As it banged and clanged its way down, it woke them both up from their haze of lust. 

"I should get you home," said Ben, pulling off of her first. 

Rey mourned the loss of him at once. She tried to pull him back, but he danced away, signaling for her to get up. When she unwillingly got up, she felt a jolt of pain in her back from the odd position.

"Yep, time for you to go home," he said, placing an arm around her back. 

"I'll be fine. I'm already home," she insisted, making him grin and kiss her cheek.

Ben walked her to her door, continuing to kiss her until she had to close the door in his face. She floated to bed, and she was primed and ready when her fingers slid inside to relieve the pent-up tension. Not long after, she cried Ben's name and fell asleep.

She wished she could say that she dreamed only of Ben that night, but Kylo still appeared. 

At first, she and Ben lay on the beach, making out. When she pulled him on top of her, it wasn't long before his hands found her breasts, and when he pressed two large fingers inside her, she moaned, begging him for more. 

As soon as his cock entered her, it was like heaven for her. She wanted this with Ben so badly, and this felt like what everything had been building toward, this breathless, excited joining as he entered her, checking to make sure she liked it. Soon they found a rhythm, her cries growing louder as she approached her peak, but he wasn't quite hitting her at the right angle to let her orgasm. She didn't know what to do until her hips suddenly lifted, and when Ben thrust into her that time, he found the sweet spot. 

“Please, I-”

Her pleas for more were cut off as her hips changed the angle again as her bottom seemed to be pulled into the wet sand to achieve the new angle, and it felt even more incredible. It was then, as it was in the way of dreams, that she finally realized that she was no longer lying on the sand, but Kylo was underneath her, watching them with his piercing eyes that looked so much like Ben's in that moment. Not only that, but he had tentacles wrapped securely around her waist, ass, and thighs, all holding her in place. 

“Kylo.”

As she spoke, Ben pounded into her faster just the way she liked it. It was hard to focus on him, though, as Kylo’s grip became hotter as he moved against her, his gentle grip urging her to spread her legs further apart. She loved it. Her body felt more flexible, and she loved being sandwiched between the two of them, her two very different lovers. When he stopped massaging her, she made a little sound of protest, and Kylo smiled smugly as he adjusted her hips once more, moving her to give Ben maximum penetration inside her. 

Having Kylo watch was one of the most arousing moments of her life. She loved being watched, loved how forbidden and wrong it was, and she was sure that he was jealous. In order to test him, she moved with Ben more, her eyes never leaving Kylo as she repeatedly called out Ben’s name. As she grew louder, Kylo's grip on her tightened, his suckers adding more heat to her already overheated skin before the tentacles at her ass began rubbing her cheeks, faster and faster with Ben. Rey was dangerously close to her peak now, and she ground into Kylo, loving how his ridged tentacles felt against her skin. 

"I'm so close. Please," she urged, not sure who she was talking to or what she was asking. 

But Kylo knew. The tentacles gripping her cheeks pushed them apart further while another slid down between her cheeks so she could feel him everywhere there. As she hissed, she felt his tip dip into her tight little hole, covering it in his special lubricant. For a moment, it hurt. In the next moment, the heated lubricant worked its magic, and her muscles relaxed, allowing Kylo to enter her more fully. The stretch caused by his thick tentacle was  _ delicious,  _ and she moaned.

“Yes, Kylo, please. More.”

Moments later, he was thrusting into her repeatedly and stuffing her full as Ben filled her other hole. She came with a loud cry, her eyes never leaving Kylo's hungry ones. Sweaty and spent, she collapsed. 

It had been the best sex of her life. Too bad it was only a dream.

When Rey awoke, she had never woken up so hot and bothered. She didn’t understand why she kept seeing Ben and Kylo together, but it left her feeling confused and hopeful that Ben would understand and make up for it.

Somehow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!!


	6. Trying New Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rey experiments with Kylo and with herself...with VERY good results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl) for beta reading and to  
> [WinglessOne](WinglessOne) for the moodboard!

The day dawned clear and bright, warm but not stifling. The water was growing warmer again, and Rey was excited. She was a little nervous about seeing Kylo that day, so she decided to avoid anything too close to him. As she swam, she hit upon the idea of swimming with him, and not a moment too soon. Within ten minutes of walking into the light waves that lapped at the sand, Kylo appeared, and after a quick exchange of waves, he was in front of her, close enough to touch. She saw a circular mark at the bottom of his neck, and she feared he had been hurt by a predator, momentarily distracted by it. 

When two tentacles went for her hands, she decided to be proactive and grabbed the ends. Kylo seemed puzzled until she wrapped his tentacles loosely around her waist. As his grip tightened, she lightly pulled him up toward the surface, but instead of going straight up, she skimmed along the surface as needed for air, trying to maintain some semblance of her laps. 

At first, Kylo didn’t know what to do, just following her like a deadweight. She didn’t mind, giving him encouraging smiles until she finally had to stop for a breather. As she took in a deep gulp of air, Kylo’s head popped above the water as well, eyeing her carefully.

“Thank you for indulging me today, Kylo,” she said, running a hand along his neck and head. When she traced the small mark on his skin, his whole body vibrated and turned red for a moment. 

The red color was gone in a blink, however, and she thought she was imagining things. It had to be. 

Ignoring that conundrum, she shook her head and addressed him again. “I’ve always wanted to swim with you, to see what it felt like. It’s nice to just relax and do something normal.”

She didn’t know why she talked to him when he couldn’t understand or talk back, but there she was, doing it anyway. It made her feel better, and she did it with all the sea creatures she cared for anyway. It made him more human. She  _ wanted  _ him to be more human.

“I want to swim a little more with you before I tire out,” she said, kicking her feet and yanking him forward with her. “I  _ know _ you can swim faster than that.”

That time, he was ready. With a large expulsion of water, he jetted forward, taking Rey with him. It was a wild ride at first, being pulled along by someone so big and powerful, and Rey revelled in the adrenaline rush, whooping with delight. Even with her extra weight, they still moved faster than she ever could, and he continued to surprise her in the best of ways, making her feel more comfortable around him. She loved the feel of the sea breeze and ocean spray on her face as she skipped along the surface with Kylo. 

Rey had to continually rub the salt water out of her eyes, but it was worth it to watch how they skimmed across the calm ocean, passing the seagulls above quickly. Nothing but clear, blue skies and a rapidly rising sun stood on the horizon, and it was a beautiful day. That she was with Kylo having the time of her life made it perfect. Whenever she’d give little shouts of joy or encouragement, he’d move faster, and before long, they had passed the lab, drawing close to the naval base. 

When he paused, Rey moved in close to him, humming and reaching around him to rest her head against his.

"Thank you, Kylo. I've enjoyed this so much."

When she pulled back and opened her eyes, he was staring steadily at her, his yellow eyes looking golden in the sunlight. Moved with emotion and a strong desire to truly thank him, she dug through her mind, thinking of things he would've seen other humans do to show affection or gratitude. When a thought struck her, she leaned in and kissed the side of his head. He tasted like the clean, salty ocean, fresh and briny. Then, she lowered herself and kissed his neck in two places before his tentacles cradled her jaw and lifted her chin up. 

Now at eye level with him, she felt sure that he felt some part of what she did, this budding attraction that made her yearn for his touch. 

His gaze was softer, and he chittered before drifting closer, making her feel pleasantly surrounded by him, as though he were a giant blanket made specifically for her. In that blanket, she felt safe and seen, and she didn't want to leave it. 

When his head touched hers, she enjoyed the sensation. What she didn't expect was his long tongue to dart out and taste her skin. After the initial shock wore off, she smiled, liking that he trusted her enough to be so close and do that. To encourage him more, she kissed him again, closer to his mouth, letting her tongue dance across the ridges of his skin there, sighing happily at the taste. 

"Kylo, how do you manage to taste so good?" She moved to the other side of his mouth to give it equal attention, leaving a trail of kisses along his skin and ridges the more she tasted, unable and unwilling to stop. She was brought up short when she felt a burst of wetness between her legs. 

She hadn't thought such actions would arouse her so much, but if it could with Ben, why not Kylo?

"I wish you had lips," she murmured, kissing the edge of his mouth.

As she started to pull away, his tongue slid out once more, entering her mouth. When he found what he was searching for, his tongue explored her. Rey closed her eyes and embraced it, glad that he tasted more like seaweed than fish. 

When he finally pulled away, watching her carefully, as though waiting for her to panic and move away, she pressed her lips to his mouth and swiped her tongue along the inside, too curious not to delve deeper. She enjoyed the pinpricks of sensation as she ran her tongue against the bottom of his teeth, and when she found the roof of his mouth, his tongue returned to her mouth more forcefully. He frantically traced the inside of her lips and the roof of her mouth just like she had, and then he brushed more gently against her teeth, rubbing back and forth against her canines before plunging into the back of her mouth. 

Unprepared, she grunted and involuntarily closed her mouth, grazing her teeth and tongue along his much thicker one. Growling, his tentacles gripped her arms tightly as he continued to taste and take, and she relished every second of it, becoming further aroused and wishing he were closer to her hips as they played tug of war with his tongue. 

She loved how soft Ben was, but this intensity of Kylo was equally addictive. 

The way he held her, as though he needed her in order to swim, and his increasingly louder growls had her burning with need all over, and when his tongue finally broke free of her grasp, he looked smug. Not to be outdone, she darted forward, kissing some of the soft skin below his mouth before nibbling on it. The rumbling sound that echoed through him made her clench her legs together before biting down hard, leaving her mark on him as she had Ben.

However weird or wrong it was, they were both  _ hers. _

He let out a strangled sound before his tentacles pulled her up, baring her neck to him. Anticipation rushed through her, and when he did bite her, it was as though every nerve ending in her body was on fire as a sting of pain hit her. Looking down, she saw a small drop of blood, and Kylo seemed to notice it at the same time she did, whining and licking it. As the licks became more rhythmic, she was shocked to feel her hips undulate in time with the motion. 

She didn’t want him to stop, and at the same time, she did. This swimming date with minimal touch wasn’t working out like she planned at all. She looked at the beach and sighed, not wanting to leave him. "I wish we could stay here forever exploring, but we should start swimming back."

She gently steered them around and back in the opposite direction, and Kylo grumbled in disappointment, letting her pull the weight of them for a bit. Rey was panting and exhausted before long, and she was eternally grateful for Kylo’s many limbs and excellent swimming capabilities after that. At first, she had a burst of energy from wanting to get back to shore, but she quickly slowed down, to the point that Kylo took to poking her with tentacles to see if she was still moving.

When she finally stopped to rest, Kylo was prepared. As she floated to the surface, ready to lie on her back for a few minutes, Kylo stretched out his tentacles, sliding them under her. It took her a moment, but when she saw how he created a hump in the middle of several tentacles, she realized that he wanted her to rest against him, like he was an inflatable raft and pillow.

“Oh. Thank you.”

He seemed to sense and anticipate her needs in small ways, and she couldn’t fail to be touched by his thoughtfulness. He seemed unwilling to stop touching her, even if only for a little while, and she liked it far more than she should. 

Which naturally made her think of Ben. 

Shoving aside the inner conflict between Kylo and Ben, Rey positioned herself over his tentacles, and he lifted them up, until she could breathe air easily. The difference in temperature between the cool air, warm water, and even warmer tentacles was enough to make her shiver, and she shoved her arms in between the divots created by the arrangement below her. She didn't need to, but she wanted to, wanted to be as close to him as possible. However, since she was only lying on four tentacles, it wasn’t long before two more appeared over her shoulders, covering the front of her body with his suckers. 

She stretched out with a hum of approval. "That feels so good, Kylo."

Rey thought nothing of it at first, basking in the warmth until she felt her nipples pebble, becoming aware of the edge of two suckers grazing her breasts. Shamelessly, she wriggled her chest against him, moaning when she felt more delicious friction and heat against her. 

"Just a little more-"

She cut herself off when two tentacles ran along the outside edge of her arms and legs, warming her up nicely. With a blissful hum, she spread out her arms, and immediately she felt the tips of his tentacles sneak in closer against the sides of her chest. As they brushed heavily along her skin, they took her bikini top with them, shoving it down and introducing Rey to the sweetest torture she had ever felt, of bare breasts against the heated, rubbery suckers all along the underside of his tentacles. Heat rushed between her legs, and she couldn’t resist bringing her hands against him as though to cup her breasts, wanting more.

“Oh, Kylo. Please,” she moaned, wriggling helplessly against him as he once more flushed red.

He seemed to understand her unspoken desire, moving across her body faster. He was soft and smooth, his damp suckers leaving little kisses on her over-sensitive breasts, each removal leaving an obscene pop in its wake. 

Her hips rose with an increasing tempo as a new fire ravaged her, everything concentrating on the areas where their bodies met. Her legs spread apart without thinking, and two of the tentacles below curled around her and over her intact bikini bottom, applying equal pressure there between the cleft of her cheeks.

“I need, I want, oh Kylo, yes, please-”

The heat was unbearable. She needed it to stop, and she desperately wanted Kylo inside her, or at the very least, touching her. All of his tentacles were as red as her face, and it spurred her on. She was close to coming now, so one of her hands left her breasts and used one of the tentacles below to shove aside her bikini bottom. The air on her heated core made her hiss, and then the other tentacle down there slid against her slit, making her cry out at the pleasure that wracked through her body. When the tip of his tentacle was close to her opening, she grasped it, guiding it to her clit. As soon as he nudged the little bundle of nerves, she came with a shout.

“Kylo!” 

She didn’t want to let go of him, but the orgasm was so intense that she went limp and lay half-senseless, limbs hanging loosely as his tip traveled lower, swiping along her inner walls and gathering her cum. She watched as he brought the glistening tentacle to his mouth, and when she watched his long tongue clean all of her juices off of him with one, lascivious stroke, she felt a new ache form between her legs. 

If she wasn’t careful, she’d never go in to work and just let him give her orgasm after orgasm. As much as she was loath to move or leave him, she knew she needed to. Stretching to reach him, she kissed him gently. 

When she started to pull away, his tentacles curled around her neck and held her close, kissing her back and using his tongue. She could taste herself, a curious sensation, and as he plundered her mouth, she could feel another tentacle below snaking along her walls, finding new wetness and taking it. When her tongue entered his mouth, he found her clit again, circling it, making her bite down on his tongue as she almost came then and there.

Kylo loved it. He rubbed her clit harder, and another tip slipped past her entrance, exploring her slit with feathery little touches, making her hotter and wetter. She couldn’t take the gentle tease; she wanted the real thing. Her hands guided him to her opening right before he applied more pressure to her clit, making her come a second time. He swallowed her cries of pleasure and tasted her greedily until she moved backward onto her back, boneless under his ministrations.

As she lay back on her tentacle bed, legs spread and her slick on display for him, he purred as a tentacle tried to clean her up. He growled when he tasted her, and it sent a fresh wave of arousal rushing through her. When he saw new wetness, he raised her body. 

Absentmindedly, she glanced at the beach and was eternally grateful that there was a dock separating them from the public. Not only that, but no one was on the dock to watch. The long, jagged line of hotels darting the skyline along the oceanfront didn't bother her at all. Her mind was too blissed out to care, but the moment his tongue slipped out, aiming for her entrance, she burned for him, wanting to know how he felt.

“Please,” she begged, inching her body closer with whatever strength she had left. 

His tongue licked her from her clit to slit, sliding in a little more at her entrance to taste her. She shallowly thrust against him, and when he had tasted his fill, he brought her down and began swimming for the beach. He didn’t enter her the way she wanted, but she was glad in a way, because she feared she was too sensitive from all the stimulation. He was a greedy lover, but he was still thoughtful, noticing just how worn out she was. It made her fall for him just a little more, and when he deposited her on the sand near her home, she reached out her weary arms.

When he came close, crawling over her, she whispered, “Thank you, Kylo. I wish I knew how to give you pleasure. I can’t find your sac, or else I’d give you an orgasm. No one’s ever made me feel as good as you have.”

Kylo moved away after that, and she watched him disappear into the water as she adjusted her bathing suit. The sun was high in the sky, and it was a beautiful day. Her mind was hazy, and her body was exhausted yet satisfied. A little sunlight and rest couldn’t hurt, right? 

She closed her eyes, and she was sure she slept because the next thing she knew, she felt her legs dangling free, and then large, strong arms cradling her. 

"Kylo?" she asked blurrily.

Plush lips kissed and nuzzled against her ear. "Hello, Sweetheart. It's Ben right now. Have a nice nap?"

Heat suffused through her at the feel and sound of Ben. Instantly she felt safe, and she was grateful that he didn't seem alarmed by her disappearing and napping. 

Her face turned red, but not because of the heat. Because she had skipped work, and then to add insult to injury, she had called Ben by Kylo's name! What was she doing?

She wanted to slap her face, but when she tried to move, her arms were pinned by his. Opening her eyes, she was prepared to see a harsh, critical look from Ben. What she got instead was the softest pair of eyes she had ever beheld, along with the oddest red mark on his chin besides her hickey. 

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," he whispered, leaning in and brushing a kiss against her forehead. "Did Kylo wear you out today?"

"Yes, he did. Sorry," she said, internally adding that it wasn't from swimming as much as Ben assumed. 

She cringed until his face grew stormy. "No. Don't be. I told you to spend time with him and get to know him. Blame me. Don't feel bad about anything you do with him."

She wanted to protest, but she didn't want to admit that she had just gotten off twice in succession at the tentacles of a sea creature, either. Instead she looked around herself and saw that he was bridal carrying her back to the lab.

Still in her bikini.

"Um, Ben? Could we drop by the cottage real fast? I should change into work clothes-"

"There's no need," he interrupted, grinning smugly. "I was going to suggest we spend some quality time with Artoo and Threepio today in the water. The best way to build a bond with them is to swim with them, in my experience. It seems you're already ready to dive in."

“That sounds amazing. But-”

“But what?” he asked, immediately on alert. 

“What happened to your chin? Shaving accident?”

His face grew red. “You know … No big deal.”

“Okay, good.” She smiled until her stomach protested loudly at not being fed earlier, and Rey ducked her head down in growing shame until his head rested against the crown of hers. 

"Hungry, are we? I think there are leftovers you can eat first before we go for a swim."

Guilt ate at her. "Ben, you're being much too nice about all this. This is why bosses and employees don't normally have a relationship like this-"

The hand at her neck came forward and silenced her, pressing against her lips before tilting her chin up to meet his eyes. "I know, and I don't care. You're not trying to take advantage of me, and neither am I."

"I swear I wasn't. But still, I thought you'd be more upset-"

"I'm not. I was worried about you, but I'll keep you close the rest of today to make up for it." He smiled. "Very close."

She shivered at those last words, her arms wriggling free to pull his head down to hers. "Please. I look forward to it."

When he was close enough, she kissed him, sighing against him. She tried to open her mouth and deepen the kiss, but he pulled away before she could, making her pout. 

"So do I, but we're not going to give up all work to kiss on the beach, however much I may want it." They entered the lab, and he set her down, pulling her in close. "After being away for so long, I'm glad you're safe. I don't want to let you go or out of my sight."

"I'm sorry to have worried you so much. I didn't mean to," she promised, tugging on his dress shirt. "I just-"

He quieted her with another kiss before leading her to the kitchenette. "I understand. Don't let it happen again. Now, let's see your options. Tomato juice, puffed rice, sardines." He bent over and dug through the cupboards more. "Tomato juice."

Rey tried not to stare at the fine, hard lines of his back, and ended up staring at his toned rear. Her mouth grew dry as she moved in closer, a hand landing at the top edge of his pants to use him as support before bending over close to his ear. "That's an awful lot of tomato juice."

When she gently lifted the dress shirt up, she slid her fingers along the strip of skin shown. She was pleased that his skin was burning up, just as hers was. As she lingered, he chuckled and stood up, giving her an eye that threatened retribution if she continued. 

When she stopped and stood up, he said with a shrug, "I heard it's good for you." 

Seeing that he was going to continue to play nice, she moved to the fridge, wondering why he even went to the cupboard. "It is. I think I'll stick to the fridge offerings," she said, pulling out a container of sausage, shrimp, and rice. "Remind me to do a cupboard clean-out next time before we make our shopping list."

"I will. I think that puffed rice was one of the first things I bought when I got here," he said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Huffing in annoyance, she yanked the puffed rice out and threw it in the trash before facing him with an indulgent smile. "You're ridiculous, but it's one of many things I love about you," she said without thinking.

Ben grinned, and she realized too late what she had said. Blushing, she turned around and heated up her breakfast. As she waited for the microwave, his arms wrapped around her waist, his body molding to hers before he rested his head on her shoulder. 

"Thank you. I love everything about you," he murmured in her ear.

Why did he have to say that? It made her weak in the knees, and she leaned into him. He was everywhere, and she got lost in him, in his broadness that made her feel safe, in his scent that felt like home, in the feel of him that made her heart race and body come alive.

Ben's lips started at her shoulder and made their way up her neck, each kiss lingering a little longer. "Rey …" 

"Don't stop," she pleaded, craning her neck to the side to give him full access to her. She moaned loudly when he sucked at her pulse point, leaving a mark by the time he was done. 

Rey wanted him to mark her everywhere, and she felt an overwhelming urge to do the same to him. Her body thrummed with want, and she couldn't imagine a place she'd rather be than there in his arms. She got so comfortable in his arms that the microwave woke them both up, making them jump as one.

"I  _ hate _ microwaves," he muttered, making her smile.

"They're just doing their job. We can continue this soon," she said, grabbing the food before they sat across from one another. When she stretched out her legs, he grabbed her ankles, holding her in place as she ate with relish. "You sure you don't want any?"

"I'm not hungry for that," he said, eyeing her carefully.

His comment made her wish she could clench...but she had to settle for gently kicking at him as she finished eating. He responded by grabbing her ankles and running his palms across the tops of her feet, stopping at her toes. 

Rey's eyes boggled. The thought of him tickling her while she ate, possibly spewing food on him from laughing, filled her with horror. 

"Ben, not many know this, but I'm very ticklish on my feet."

His eyes sparkled with mischief. "Is that so?"

"Ben,  _ no,"  _ she threatened. "It's bad. I'm loud; I could scare all the animals here with it."

"Then I  _ need  _ to do it. I have to witness this for myself," he said, grinning and letting his fingertips dance across her toes. Her feet tried to jerk away from his hands, but he held them fast, his grin growing larger. "You didn't even squeak. I think I need to try harder."

"Ben, I, Oi!" she cried as he tickled the soles of her feet, one crooked finger making her squirm then scream. 

"Better," he said, his smile becoming wider as she squealed more. 

"Ben, no! Hey! You suck! You're awful," she cried, trying to wrench her feet away to no avail. 

"Then you shouldn't start things you can't finish," he said smugly. 

"If I could reach you, I would," she gritted out, only for him to let go. 

He stood up, grinning. "Here's your chance. I'd like to see you try."

"You're going to regret this," she said, eyeing him as she stood up. 

"I doubt that," he said, moving away from the table and leaving himself open and vulnerable by lifting up his arms. "I'm liking this decision all the more."

If her face wasn't red before, it was now with indignation. She lunged for him with a snarl, hands going for his waist. 

It was like hitting a brick wall. His chest was carved from solid marble, and his body never acknowledged that she had hit or touched him, let alone tried to tickle his sides and armpits. He just stood there with that smug grin plastered to his face, letting her try and fail to tickle. 

She tried a couple more places, and when he grew impatient, his arms lowered, wrapping around her. "You done yet? Because I am."

"Not even close," she said, tilting her head up and becoming startled when he was so close. 

"Then you lose," he said, kissing her.

She melted against him, but she realized belatedly that he only did it to play dirty. In the next moment, he lifted her up and hefted her onto one shoulder like she was a weightless sack of potatoes. She tried to kick his chest, but all it did was make her toes hurt because he was all muscle.

"Ben, put me down," she hissed, watching as they neared the pools of animals they studied. "I'm perfectly capable of walking on my own."

"Are you going to stop the tickling and be rational so we can work now?" he asked, still sounding amused.

She grumbled and kicked him once more, only to wince. "Yes."

"Good. We have work to do. Once that is done, then we can play … with the octopuses and one another," he said, putting her down carefully.

She surveyed their surroundings, noting the food and equipment to take measurements and whatnot. When she met Ben's gaze once more, he slowly unbuttoned the dress shirt and removed it, revealing his chest. Rey's mouth grew drier than the desert she had grown up in, and all rational thought of work vanished as she  _ finally  _ beheld Ben in black swim trunks. 

Everything about him was defined and muscled. His chest was all smooth, taut skin, and she wanted to run her hands and mouth along every hard plane she could see. His arms and legs put gym rats to shame, and she wanted to run her greedy hands along every inch of pale skin he revealed. 

At least Rey didn't feel bad about ogling her boss; as soon as she dragged her eyes up, he looked pleased. 

"See something you like?" he whispered as he leaned in and kissed her jaw. 

"Yes. I'm not sure how I'm going to focus anymore," she admitted, making him smile wider.

"Good. That makes two of us. That bikini was invented to torment me and drive me to distraction," he said, fingers ghosting across her stomach. 

She shivered and held her ground. "This is bad for our work."

"I agree," he replied seriously, making her fear that her boss would stop all flirting and talk of relationships. "However, I believe in us. The water will help more than a cold shower, and we can call it early today. Let's go."

She sighed. "I think you're right."

"I know I'm right. Go ahead and climb into the pool with the squid; I'll follow you and hand you supplies."

Ben handed her their equipment, and once his chest was half-covered with water, it was much easier to concentrate. The next few hours passed quickly as they studied and took measurements of their various animals. Ben performed the work on the first one to show Rey how it was done, and then he moved behind her, guiding her movements for the next two and simply watching closely for the rest.

Rey was horribly distracted by the feeling of warm, smooth skin pressed against her, but she learned. Over time, she learned to think of Ben in a similar vein to the rest of her interactions with him: as a comforting presence that she had grown used to having.

The problem, of course, was that no matter how many times his face or lips brushed against any part of her face, she still felt a jolt of pleasure rush through her, wanting him closer yet. And any time he chose to rest his hands on her hips, she wanted to drag him closer. 

Besides that, their time with the squid went quite well, and before she knew it, it was time for the next tank. 

Each pool of water was entered in a similar manner, Ben showing what had to be done before letting Rey take a shot. She always felt accomplished after finishing up with a marine animal, and when both were hungry, they stopped for lunch. Eating quickly, they picked up where they left off with the animals, ending with the octopuses.

Their favorite. 

With practiced hands, Ben whispered endearments and threatened no playtime afterward to Artoo and Threepio as he narrated how Rey would be working with Threepio. 

"Artoo is the mischievous one; I like to take care of him because he has a mind of his own. Threepio may complain more, but he's docile and used to this," he explained, flicking one of the arms of Artoo that tried to wrap around his arm. "No."

When Artoo let go with a huff of air bubbles, Rey giggled. Ben continued his work until he was all done.

"There. Think you can do that with Threepio now?"

"I think so," she said, getting into the water and approaching Threepio carefully. "Hi."

Threepio snorted a series of bubbles at her but didn't back away. She saw the vibrating arm closest to her, so she knelt lower, until she was eye level with him. 

"I promise I'm not going to hurt you, my friend."

As soon as she touched him, the nervous tingling in Threepio vanished. Relieved, she began her work on her knees, humming as she measured him. 

As soon as Ben lowered himself in turn and pressed his front to her, both neck-deep in the water, she sighed and relaxed against him more. The looser she felt, the easier it was to work with Threepio. 

"You're doing so well," rumbled Ben into her ear after a time. "You're a natural, like you were meant to do this, to be with me."

"Thank you." She blushed under his praise, new heat gathering below.

His arms looped around her waist, and her knees rammed into one another as his fingers rubbed circles into her stomach. Each touch was slow and sensual as his fingers dragged across her skin, and she  _ yearned _ to feel those gigantic hands elsewhere, whether above, on her breasts, or below, buried between her legs. At the thought of those fingers filling her, desire coursed through her, nipples hardening and wishing for more of him everywhere. When his lips pressed kisses along her upper back and shoulder blades, she stopped moving, afraid to hurt Threepio in her distracted state. Her legs clenched around nothing, and she had half a mind to push her ass against those black swim trunks of his, hoping he got the message. 

As her arms dropped, Ben pulled away. "We're not done yet. Finish the job."

"Ben," she whined, turning to face him and running a hand up his neck. When he shivered, she mentally noted that detail for later, that he was sensitive there. "I can't concentrate when you do that."

"Then I'll stop."

She huffed and drew closer. "No. I don't want you to stop."

"Nor do I, but work first, then playing." He turned her around, his hands skimming across her edge of her top and her bicep. 

Rey was sure that he was teasing her on purpose with touches like that, so she finished the work. 

After that, he stepped closer once more. "There, all done. Now, let's play with our friends a little, shall we? I find this the best way to develop a bond with those who don't share our language."

"It's a good idea! I hadn't thought of it," she said, staying near the octopuses but keeping her eyes trained on Ben.

"Thank you. You should do that with Kylo as well." His hands turned her to face Artoo and Threepio. "If you want to connect best, go underwater and let them touch your arms and face. Possibly your hair if you’re willing to let it down."

She smiled, glad that she had done most of those things with Kylo without meaning to. She always kept her hair in her customary three buns since it was long and got in the way of work and swimming. One day soon, she would let it down for Ben and Kylo. Diving underwater, Artoo wrapped around her arms, and Threepio played with her buns and face. It wasn't long, however, before she felt Ben behind her, semi-hard against her butt and hands unable to stop touching her. 

Just like the tentacles of Kylo, she felt surrounded by Ben, and she burned for him, wanting more. Having other octopus arms around her made her also wish Kylo was there, holding her securely like that.

When she came up for air, Ben was there, kissing her neck and ears. 

"They love you, almost as much as I do. I'm always amazed at how fast they take to you, and I know I shouldn't." His hands skimmed along the bottom edge of her top, and both octopuses let go of her, allowing her to turn around and face Ben properly. 

Heat spiked within her, and new tension filled the air between them as she took in his shallow, ragged breaths and dilated eyes. Both stood up and moved to the edge of the pool near the ladder, unable to stop staring at one another. Each step was hard and heavy for her, especially as she watched him swallow all distance between them with his large steps and hungry eyes.

She couldn't help but feel as though he were hunting her, and she couldn't have been more excited. She wanted him  _ everywhere. _

When her back hit the wall, her hand slid down, and his eyes followed. His eyes grew darker as they wandered down, and she knew exactly what he saw: perky breasts bobbing for his heated touch in the water. She stepped in closer, watching his eyes track the movement of her breasts. When she rose out of the water slightly to put her at eye level with him, he stepped forward, eyeing his prize. 

A hand of his rose out of the water, reaching for one of her breasts, mesmerized by her. She felt powerful and helpless all at once, amazed at her ability to pull him in and her need for him. 

He had denied her his touch for so long, and she craved it. It never occurred to her that he might be denying her on purpose, in order to drive her to someone else who wanted her just as much. She pulled Ben against her, both groaning with want when his fingertips grasped her nipple. 

"Please, Ben," she begged as his eyes met hers. 

He tweaked a nipple. "You want this?"

"Yes. More than anything," she panted, squeezing her legs together to hold back what she felt there. When he repeated the motion to the other breast, she keened, lost in the heavenly feeling. 

"Thank you," he breathed in relief, resting his forehead against hers. "I've wanted you for so long."

He moved in until their chests met, her nipples rubbing against the hard planes of his chest. He was unwilling to completely let go of her breasts, and when her hips bucked of their own accord, she felt his fully erect cock jutting against her. 

“You’re so needy,” he marveled, staring worshipfully at her as he canted his hips in turn. “I didn’t think you’d want me, want this,” he said, grinding against her. “I want to bury my cock inside you until there’s no distance between us.” She gasped, pupils dilating as her hands gripped his arms. He took it the wrong way, worriedly asking, “Is that too much? Too soon?”

“Never,” she said, kissing him. “Talk more like that. I love it when you do.” Her hands stroked his face. “I don’t know why you think I don’t want your cock, but I do. I dream about it every night.”

“Rey,” he moaned, holding her gaze, “I’m not that big. I hope I can live up to your fantasy of me-”

She thought it odd that he would admit or think that, but she would think about that later. She cut him off with a kiss, having none of it. “I’ll decide, and I’ve already made my decision. I want you. Besides,” she said, running her fingers along the length she could feel through his pants, “I think you’re perfect.”

“How did I ever deserve you?” he asked, seeming near tears.

“I ask myself the same question every day,” she said, their lips meeting passionately. 

As his grip on her breasts became bruising, the heat inside was too much for her. She grabbed his hips and ground against him, taking her pleasure as she moved her core against what she could touch. Ben growled low in his throat, eyes closed as he didn't move, simply let her explore and touch him. 

She pressed heated, open-mouthed kisses to his chest, wanting to taste more of him. As he pinched and tweaked her nipples, and she sucked one of his into her mouth, wanting him to be just as painfully aroused as her. 

"Rey," he moaned weakly. "This is, you are-"

"Please Ben," she pleaded, licking at the other one as his cock jumped. 

When one of her hands landed at the top of his pants and brushed against his cock as she tried to shove the pesky swimsuit down, he groaned before reluctantly untangling himself from her.

"No, Rey. Not yet. I don't want to rush you," he rasped. "I need you to be absolutely sure about this. Our relationship is still new, and there's more you need to learn about me-"

She wanted to stamp her foot in frustration. Or hit him. Or just press him against the wall and have her wicked way with him. 

"I don't care," she insisted, annoyed when he continued to put space between them. "I just told you: I want you."

His hands cupped her face as he kissed her passionately. When he pulled away, he said softly, "I do, too, but you were questioning us not long ago. Once I have you, I'm not letting go."

Warm tingles rushed through her body, and her desire for him rose all the more. However, she saw the resolute look in his gaze; they weren't going any further until a later date. She sighed, understanding his logic, even if she hated it. She was intrigued by his later words, and she knew that she hadn't been imagining things earlier. 

He wanted her. Desperately. Everything in his eyes and body language said so, that he wanted to ravish her and utterly destroy her for all other men. She wasn't afraid; she felt it, too. 

"I understand. So, when are you going to explain yourself?" she asked, making him smile.

"Soon. It's been almost a month." 

"It can't come fast enough," she muttered.

He approached her with a soft smile. "Thank you."

After that, the two left the pool and finished transcribing all of their data into the computer, with Rey typing and Ben reading over her shoulder. He managed to not kiss her the whole time, but he was never far. As soon as she shut down the computer, though, one hand turned her head to kiss her properly while the other hand cupped a breast, sliding under her top and squeezing tightly. Rey moaned uncontrollably at the pleasure pain, at least until he let go, looking abashed.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't tease you like that," he said, staring at his feet.

"You shouldn't unless you're willing to finish what you started," she quipped, making him laugh. "Or you could just tell me everything now."

"Let's eat first, and we'll see how I'm feeling," he said, eyes alight with affection.

She was about to protest when her stomach suddenly declared its need for food, so she dragged him to the kitchen. His arms remained around her, while heating up the food and even while eating since she insisted on sitting in his lap. 

If she was going to suffer, then so was he. 

She hoped that it would change his mind, but life had other plans for her that evening. Just as they finished eating, her cell phone went off, and she saw that Amilyn was calling.

"It's Dr. Holdo. I need to take this. We may be on for a while," she said, kissing his cheek before running off. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night, Rey."

"Hi, Dr. Holdo!" greeted Rey at the doorway.

Once she was outside, she jogged to her cottage, not taking any chances that Ben might overhear her talking about him. What she didn't expect was a package sitting in front of her door, and when she read the name of the supplier, she realized that Rose's gift had arrived. 

How convenient and perfect for later to help her deal with her mounting frustration. 

At first, Rey and Amilyn discussed generalities of work and new things happening in life. Her old advisor seemed pleased by all she heard, at least until the end.

"Is that all he's doing, Rey? He's not trying to push you at all, in good or bad ways?"

"Unless being pushed to the edge of my sanity with sexual frustration counts, no."

Amilyn laughed before growing serious. "I wondered if that would happen. Rey, I know all you want to do is take care of those animals, but you have a brilliant mind. You could do so much more-"

"I don't want it. Thank you, but no. I'm happy here, despite the frustration," said Rey, pacing as she talked. "I like him. A lot.” She paused before admitting aloud for the first time, “I think I'm falling for him."

Admitting it out loud made the growing feelings she had for Ben finally real, and she knew without a doubt that she was.

"Rey, this is serious.” Amilyn’s voice was now low and serious. “Are you absolutely sure that he isn't taking advantage of you?" she asked worriedly.

When Rey explained the last several weeks and how Ben consistently had asked her about her feelings, her mentor gasped. 

"He actually sounds like a decent human being. There must be something wrong with him. All men have something wrong with them. Even my Poe does," said Amilyn, no doubt smiling about her husband of several years. 

"Well, I've learned a fair bit about him, but he does have at least a couple secrets. He's promised to explain what happened with his assistant soon, but I don't think it'll be anything serious." Rey undid her buns and sat in bed, ready for more heavy conversation.

"Don't assume anything. Insist he tells you. Are you absolutely sure he's not abusing his power, and that you're happy there doing that?"

"Yes," laughed Rey, grinning. "It's not really big, but I think in time, he'll let me share in his research in a bigger way. He keeps showing me more of what he does, and he's so open to all my ideas. I can see us growing old together in this lab doing what we love."

"That sounds lovely. If that's what you want-"

"It is,” said Rey with finality. “We share a connection unlike anything I've ever known. He's it. It kind of scares me how certain I am that I belong here with him."

"Good."

Rey did a double-take. "What?"

"That's good. What you're thinking about is a huge step, and you'll need to keep your eyes open for more from him as he shows his true colors soon. But, he does seem like a good man, and good for you since he takes care of you better than you do yourself. I say go for it."

Rey sighed in relief. "You have no idea how glad I am you said that. I don't want to scare you away, but I want to stay here with him. I'd love it if you visited and liked him, but it's not necessary."

"You have fallen for him already. Enjoy being in love, Rey. It's beautiful and strange, but be ready for the unexpected. I didn't think I'd fall for one of my most outspoken students, but here I am, married and happy with him. It doesn’t bother me that much that you have a connection to your boss."

Chuckling, Rey said, "We're a right pair, aren't we?" 

"We know what we want, and we take it. Never be afraid to take what you want, Rey, no matter what it is."

Rey's body tensed. "Even if it is super taboo sex?"

Amilyn laughed. "Definitely that. You only live once; enjoy life to the fullest and enjoy that moment. It may be the only time he will do it, but hopefully not."

"Thank you," murmured Rey, staring at the open package.

"So, what did you have in mind? I think I've tried just about everything with Poe, as young and adventurous as he is," asked Amilyn conspiratorially. "I might be able to give pointers."

"Really? You don't mind?" asked Rey, shocked at this revelation. 

She knew that Amilyn and her husband had an active, happy sex life, but now things made sense.

"Of course. I want you to enjoy yourself with Ben."

Rey ignored the way her gut twisted. "What about … anal?"

“Oh, that?” laughed Amilyn. “More people do that than you think. We enjoy it, and so should you.”

Rey felt silly but so relieved when she heard her mentor’s response. It put her at ease and even got her excited to try that and more as Rey received helpful pointers from Amilyn, and then they hung up for the night since Poe was growing more desirous to steal away his wife. 

"That's all you should need for the basics. I wish you all the luck, and make sure you find lube. Good night."

"Good night and thank you!"

After hanging up, Rey explored the contents of her package. By some miracle, the plug set also came with two bottles of lube. What she didn't expect was a giant, red and blue dildo shaped like a tentacle with veins and rows of suckers, a note from Rose telling her that it made Rose think of Rey and her work. 

If only Rose knew what Rey was doing now. Rey tucked the dildo away for later, wanting to save the monster tentacle that seemed larger than all of Kylo’s tentacles for a time when she wanted to push her limits. Then, she focused on what she really wanted: the butt plugs. 

Setting the smallest plug and the bottle of lube on the bed, she cleaned up in the bathroom, changed into her bed clothes, and found her vibrator. 

Her first goal was to make sure she was very relaxed before she inserted a plug inside her, and so she lay back, imagining pulling down Ben's swim trunks and guiding his hot length inside her. She was already wet with anticipation, and she began stroking her clit and breasts to push her toward her peak faster. 

It worked at first, each pulse and touch sending her higher, but soon she was grasping for something out of reach. Grunting in frustration, she remembered what her advisor had said: don't be afraid to take what she wanted.

She wanted Ben, but she wanted to feel Kylo's tentacles deep inside her, flicking her clit and making her come like he had earlier. Memories of the morning made her begin to climb higher again, and then she imagined Kylo ripping her bikini to shreds, eager to thrust inside and taste her. 

"Yes, Kylo, just like that! Harder!"

She turned the vibrator up to its highest setting, panting as her body came alive.

"Touch my breasts like this. Oh yes, please, perfect, ah!"

She was at the edge at last. Her hand slid under her ass, imitating his tentacle, and when she imagined him filling her other hole with a tentacle, she came with a cry. 

"Kylo!"

As she fell back spineless and sated, she used the lubricant to rub around her hole and liberally applied inside. It felt super tight, so she imagined Ben kissing and hugging her, and she loosened up at once. Finally, she inserted the plug, and she felt the most delicious fullness she had ever known. 

If this is what it felt like to have Kylo buried inside her, she wanted it. Wanted him filling her everywhere until all she knew was him. Just once. Hopefully by doing it once, she could scratch the itch and then let Ben experiment with her.

Leaving the plug in overnight, she went to bed soon after, texting Rose the good news that the package had arrived and that it had already been used. When she woke up, Rose cheered her on in texts with lots of exclamation points, and when Rey removed the plug, she hoped that she could work her way to the third and final plug quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!!


	7. Diving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rey fully embraces the tentacle side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those that are here for the tentacle sex, here you go! I hope it is everything you hoped for! Many thanks to [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl)  
> for the beta, and for the awesome moodboard  
> [WinglessOne](WinglessOne)

After her normal breakfast of juice and a granola bar, Rey slipped into her bikini and headed to the ocean, determined to play with Kylo in the way she wanted after the encouragement she received the night before. Just imagining all the things she wanted to do with him had her on edge by the time she crossed the already warm sand and entered the water. Not even the calm ocean could take the edge off, as the air was sticky with humidity, and the unrelenting sun left the water too warm to be refreshing. 

She wasn't swimming underwater long before Kylo appeared, and her heartbeat became erratic. She wanted to be a part of his world, to know what it was like to be joined to him in his hidden kingdom, and she couldn’t believe it was finally happening. He moved with fluid grace toward her as she waved good morning to him, and she had to physically restrain herself from placing him exactly where she wanted him when he stopped in front of her, tentacles floating about him. 

His eyes held hers as he waved one tentacle and then brought it to her face, quickly followed by another. As her eyes closed in pleasure as his soft suckers brushed along her skin, she lifted her chin, and he moved closer, until there was no space left between them. 

One set of suckers caressed her face, leaving a series of odd, wet kisses in its wake. The other tentacle joined in time with the rest of his body, rubbing his ridged skin along her face, neck, and chest. Each touch was exquisite, and the friction against her hardened nipples left her breathless, pulling her further into his current as she became lost in him.

She knew she needed to go up for air soon, but she wanted one more kiss. Closing her lips over his mouth, she was surprised when she felt him breathe oxygen into her to help. It brought her up short, the intimacy of the act, and it only made her fall harder for him. His tentacles held her mouth in place, knowing somehow that she needed that breath of life as much as she needed his kisses and fevered touch. When she closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment, she grasped him tighter, and she felt Kylo's long tongue enter her mouth. 

She returned the favor, exploring the inside of his mouth. When her tongue sought to taste more of him, he gave up all pretense of softness. Two tentacles wrapped securely around her waist, and another two held her arms in place at her sides. As another two slid up her calves, she waited impatiently for him to move closer to where she really wanted him.

When he got to her knees, his grip on her tightened considerably, and he pulled her to the surface. As soon as she could see, she sought his eyes, wanting to see the human depths there, and she found it easily in the bright sun, as they looked tenderly at her. 

"Kylo, please," she begged, kissing his neck. "Touch me. I want to feel you  _ everywhere _ ."

The waves picked up, and she wrapped her legs around his upper body, opening her legs to him as much as she could while clinging to him. As she rubbed along the hard bumps on his skin, she moaned and moved faster, not stopping until a tentacle peeked out of the water, just shy of her breasts. She arched forward, shamelessly rubbing her hardened nipples on his skin, and Kylo's skin grew red all over in arousal before the tip ripped the bikini top off of her body. 

"Ah! Kylo! Yes," she breathed, glad to be free of the restraints. As the ridged skin sent frissons of delicious friction across her body, her hips moved faster, needing more of him as she began to reach for her peak. 

A lone tentacle pressed against her bikini bottom. "Yes!" She muscled a hand down and pressed his tip against her clothed entrance, showing him where she wanted him. "Please. I need you."

The grasp on her hands eased; she used the leniency to push aside her bottom and open her lower lips to better feel him. Then, she pressed his suckers against her sensitive, overheated flesh, groaning at how good it felt. 

She never wanted him to leave that spot, able to feel him all along her slit. As she soaked his tentacle in her growing wetness, his suckers grew warmer, pulsing steadily within her as he left love bites all along her. 

He was like her own personal vibrator, but better. His grip around her waist tightened, the tips of his tentacles caressing her stomach and skin below her breasts. Slowly, she was feeling him everywhere, and she couldn't have been more excited. 

When the tip of the tentacle around her waist wandered up further, it brushed the underside of her breast, and her eyes closed involuntarily. One hand pressed him harder against her, until the sucker on the tip of his tentacle was on her clit, pulsing in time with her. The other hand dragged the tip at her breast to her hardened bud, gasping when the sucker contracted around her nipple, squeezing it possessively. 

"Yes! Kylo. Please," she begged, crying out when the other tentacle at her breast turned around and clamped onto her nipple.

Her whole body vibrated with need, and her cries filled the air, chanting his name as she edged closer and closer to her peak. 

"I need you, Kylo. Please, Kylo. Just a little more-mmf!"

She was shocked when a tentacle entered her mouth, stopping all her cries. When he sucked harder against her breasts and clit, she came with a shout, biting down on him.

He pulled away from her completely, and she felt bereft without him. Everything within her demanded he come back because she still felt unbearably hot and aroused. 

"I'm sorry. Please don't go," she said, looping her arms around him. "I just want to taste you and show you how much I like what you do to me."

One of her hands guided a tentacle to her entrance, spreading her slick all over him to show him what he had caused. His pupils dilated in memory, and he brought the tip to his mouth, licking it clean.

Rey felt fresh juices coat her insides, and she moaned, bringing another tentacle to her opening. 

She needed him inside her. Just once. She wasn't sure if he would be able to make her come again, though, fearing their encounter from the day before would be a fluke. However, that was when she remembered the thick, white mating lubricant he had. It was dangerous because she would be unable to stop thinking about him inside her, but it was worth it if she could have him. 

She rubbed the tip of the red tentacle closest to her, and it wasn't long before the pulsing, thick tentacle had a giant bead of white there, begging her to taste it. As she brought her open mouth forward, she saw how dark his eyes were, daring her to taste. She pulled the tentacle at her entrance away slightly to rub circles around the tip, until she felt his lubricant there as well.

In for a penny, in for a pound. If she was going to burn for him, she was going to do it properly. 

She tasted him first. She swirled her tongue around his tip, moaning at his taste. The salt and seaweed was still there, but there was something else, something unique to him that made every nerve in her mouth come alive. Soon, the lube worked its way into her bloodstream, making her whole body vibrate with need for him. Her body was on fire, and she never wanted it to stop as she rapidly approached her peak. 

Her greedy hand pressed his tip against her clit as the other hand brought a different one to her entrance. As soon as his sucker clamped onto the sensitive bundle of nerves, though, she cried his name and mouthed his tip as she came.

Kylo's eyes appeared uncertain at the extra pressure applied to the tentacle in her mouth until he felt the telltale rush of her cum. Then, his eyes opened wider in understanding, and he gathered her slick before feeding her more of his own version of cum. 

It dribbled into her mouth, and she couldn't help herself. She took the tip fully into her mouth, sucking in every bit of lube he would give her. He pulsed inside her mouth, slowly exploring her and sliding in deeper as her tongue continued to flick and take greedily. 

As he reached the back of her throat, she feared her jaw would lock up, but as she worked her jaw, it loosened and took him further, all of his lubricant making it easier to move there, too. She watched him taste her juices and how even his head turned red before sending the tentacle back to her slit, moving along the length of it as he circled her clit with his tip. 

Rey was amazed when she felt her body thrum with desire, sure that his lubricant was the reason why she felt ready to go at it with him all over again. She should have been too sensitive, but the heat of his suckers soothed her tender flesh as it sought to know every inch of her. 

He was no longer touching her breasts, and she wanted him to. Her hands each grabbed a tentacle and worked him, smearing the lubricant all over her breasts. 

He made a low, deep growl, and when she tried to touch her nipples, he pushed her hands away, bringing his tip to them as new lubricant covered them both. 

"Kylo!" she screamed, her mouth still filled. He looked at her with something like pride.

She almost came then and there, but she was close once more. He still wasn't inside her, but he was everywhere else she wanted him as his suckers pinched her nipples roughly, the suction somehow harder with the lubrication on her. 

His eyes softened as a tentacle teased her other hole while continuing to massage her inner walls and slit. The touch was tentative, feather-light, and he whined, as though begging her to accept him there, too. Rey shot forward and kissed him, turned on by his asking and vulnerability. Somehow, he knew it would be hard for her, and he was afraid of being rejected. 

She would have  _ none  _ of that. She reached for his tip, circling and encouraging more lubrication before rubbing around the tender hole. She wasn't ready for him to enter her yet, since she still had more plugs to try, but she couldn't help wanting him to help prepare her for it. If he could soothe and relax her muscles gradually as she continued to stretch herself, then she knew she could take him the way she wanted to, soon. Within moments of the thick, white substance touching her skin, she knew she had made the right decision and let the tip rest against her opening, making her want him all the more. 

Finally, she stopped the wayward tentacle from its aimless groping and guided it to her center. This time, they were going all the way. Her whole body was tight with need, everything on edge and waiting for that final push. His eyes seemed uncertain, so she slowly removed the tentacle from her mouth and kissed him. 

As her tongue pushed its way inside his mouth, she pushed his tentacle slightly inside to show him what to do, gasping at how good he felt as he filled her.

He understood after that, tongue tasting her before he gently entered her below. The stretch and pain lasted only a moment, and as her own juices mixed with the ones he spilled inside her, she felt herself relax enough to take his girth further. Soon, all she could feel was the delicious fullness that she had always wanted. 

"Kylo," she cried against his mouth, pushing him in further to feel more. 

He let her set the pace, and she welcomed him eagerly, taking him a little further each time with each push inside. She couldn't wait to feel more, as much as her body burned for him.

"Kylo, you feel so good. I don't want you to stop or ever leave me," she whispered, kissing him. "I feel so full."

She was tight, and he was bigger than she had expected, making the progress slow. But, with each spurt of lubrication and another kiss, she groaned and took him deeper until he hit her cervix. 

Panting, she stopped and said, "This is heaven. I don't think it can be better than this."

She spoke too soon. After a moment of sitting there, allowing herself to fully adjust to him, his suckers suctioned to her walls, making her cry out. When he vibrated and added heat to her, the pleasure was almost unbearable, making her stomach and legs clench as she bit on his tongue. 

That time, he understood. He bit her back, loosened his hold on her, and turned his tentacle to attach himself to another part of her slick walls. She groaned and almost came, barely holding on to her sanity. When he suddenly pulled out halfway, she sobbed, at least until he thrust into her roughly, filling her up. 

"Yes. Just like that," she breathed, going to his neck and kissing it.

Like she hoped, he moved faster, his neck evidently sensitive. He started slower but soon was pistoning into her, just the way she liked it, and she met his thrusts halfway, eagerly calling his name as she continued kissing him. 

When he applied more pressure to her breasts and clit, her movements grew more erratic. "Yes. I'm so close, Kylo. Please, Kylo, just a little more. I want you so bad, Kylo, oh Kylo, yes, Kylo, oh!" 

When a tentacle suddenly entered her mouth at the same time as a hard thrust, she felt a new gush of him on her tongue. That, combined with a sucker hitting her most sensitive spot inside her, made her fly over the edge, her whole body combusting into tiny particles of light. She was weightless and felt invincible, caught up in Kylo and how much he surrounded her, making her feel like there was only him and her. 

She rested against Kylo as his tentacle worked her further, helping her through the aftershocks with gentle strokes. When her body finally stopped moving, he pulled out of her, and she watched with dazed eyes as he licked her juices off of himself. 

He seemed so  _ happy _ . It made her feel warm inside, and her head drooped against him, ready for a nap. He carried her to the beach, laying her down gently before kissing her one last time. 

"Don't leave me, Kylo," she pleaded weakly, watching him slide a few tentacles into the water before diving back into the ocean.

Rey missed him immediately. Her body ached all over from all the attention he paid her body, and she felt exhausted, if sated. 

She secretly hoped that her body wouldn't be on edge all day because he had filled her up so well and made her come so much. Worried about being found half-naked on the beach by Ben, she resisted the urge to lay in the sand and sleep, instead standing up on shaky legs. Covering her breasts, she made the jog of shame to her home and put on normal clothing to head into work. 

She tried putting on a bra, but her breasts were too sensitive for it. She felt ashamed as she walked in so late to work, especially because of who she had been with, as it felt like she was cheating on Ben. She went looking for him, and she found him sitting at his desk, reviewing documents. She walked up to him hesitantly, at least until she saw the tender look in his eyes. 

The amber color there put all her fears to rest, that no matter what happened, he would still love her. 

"Good morning, Rey," he said, leaning forward and kissing her. 

She melted into the kiss, hands gripping his face and hair. As soon as he touched her, she felt a familiar ache between her legs that flared to life, and her nipples started to chafe against her shirt. 

This day was going to be a test of her patience, and she hoped it would fly by. All the same, she couldn't help but hope that Ben changed his mind and would have his wicked way with her over his desk. The hormones within her raged and demanded they be closer, and both sought to satisfy that ache as he devoured her. 

When they finally stopped to breathe, she said, "I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize. You're doing what I ask. I'm thrilled you're spending so much time with Kylo. Keep doing it," encouraged Ben before kissing her again, the flames within her flaring to life stronger than ever, just as a small twinge of shame did. "Understand?"

She nodded, believing herself unworthy of this kind, understanding man. "Yes. I just didn't expect to be so worn out."

He smiled smugly, and she didn't understand why. 

"Obviously, Kylo is keeping you busy." She blushed madly as he scooted his stool back, motioning for her to come forward. "As it so happens, I want to see this blog and its progress so far. Please join me and show me your internet skills."

She grinned, even if she didn't look forward to constantly touching him. As she walked forward, she pushed out her chest, hoping he saw how he affected her. 

He did. His eyes darkened, and as she turned to sit in his lap, one hand pressed against her belly button while the other brushed the tip of her nipple, making her groan and press her legs together. 

"You're always beautiful, but you're even more beautiful when you show me how much you want me. Such a naughty, dirty girl, trying to tempt me," he said, grasping her other nipple. 

"Yes. Is it working?" she grit out, grinding against the growing bulge in his pants. 

"Not yet. Keep trying," he quipped, kissing her before forcing them to get down to business.

Frustrated with his teasing and closeness, Rey jiggled a leg, turned to the computer, and tried not to think about Ben and sex. She  _ ought  _ to be able to focus, just like Ben did. Why couldn’t she? 

Her mind helpfully showed her images of Kylo filling her and reminded her of how good his mating lubricant tasted. It put her even more on edge, and she bemoaned her decision to taste him, as the after-effects left her more needy than ever. 

She only hoped she wouldn’t become addicted to the mindblowing sex she had with Kylo. 

They worked for two hours before it was time for lunch. Now out of ready-made food, the two stood side-by-side and made a meal together, both constantly bumping into the other. If he reached across her every few minutes for a knife and brushed against her breasts, neither commented on it as they cooked in harmony, each doing their part to help as they had grown accustomed to doing. The rest of the day passed in that manner, with Rey in a constant state of arousal from Ben, who was the worst tease she knew. 

To distract herself, she finally cleaned out the cupboards of all the really old food after dinner, and Ben gave guesses as to how old it all was. When she finally finished, he moved behind her.

"You look exhausted, Rey. As much as I'd like to keep you here with me longer, I think you need your rest more."

"I think so. I have a feeling I'll be worn out by Kylo again tomorrow," she said, making him chuckle.

"Oh yes, I expect you will. It's chilly out there tonight, but tomorrow will be beautiful, both the sunrise and sunset."

"I'd love to watch those with you tomorrow," she said, turning in his grasp and kissing him. 

"So would I. We'll see," he said with a mysterious light in his eyes. Kissing her again, he led her to the doorway. "Good night."

After one last kiss, Rey penguin-walked back to cottage due to the amount of wetness between her legs that had built up from the whole day. Just before she entered her home, she stopped, looking around her. 

There wasn’t a soul in sight, only the full moon in a cloudless sky, stark white and casting an ethereal glow upon the calm ocean. It was beautiful and peaceful, unlike inside her. She wished Ben or Kylo were there to help take the edge off, but she couldn’t help but wonder where Kylo went the rest of the day. 

Did he swim around large areas, or did he stay close to the lab always? Could he be watching her, even at that moment?

She groaned at the thought, hoping so. “You have no idea what you do to me,” she murmured, stripping out of her clothes and feeling the chill breeze across her skin. Leaning back against her door with legs spread wide, she closed her eyes and imagined Kylo noticing and sticking his head out of the water to watch. It was surprisingly easy to feel his burning gaze on her, and a new sense of urgency filled her. Rubbing her clit, she sighed and bucked before pumping two fingers inside herself.

“It’s not the same as you. I want you,” she panted, crooking her fingers and finding the spot she needed that Kylo had found earlier. Within moments, she came with a cry and entered her home.

If the water splashed near her home after that, she would never know. She wouldn’t see the effects of that little display until the morning.

Once in bed, she applied lube to her sensitive hole, and she carefully inserted the second butt plug into her, not surprised it went in more easily after Kylo's lubricant from earlier. As soon as she felt the satisfying stretch and fullness, she latched onto the lingering thread of need that refused to go away and buried her hands inside her, touching herself the way she liked. All she had to do was imagine Kylo filling both holes and her mouth with his tentacles, and she came harder than she ever had on her own. 

Within moments, she fell asleep, gone to the world and dreaming of Ben and Kylo taking her at the same time. At first, it was only Ben, the gentlest lover she had ever known or wanted. They lay on the beach making out until she reached for him, wanting him inside her. 

Her moans of pleasure only increased when she felt a tentacle wrap around her ankle. Ben looked up from their lovemaking, smiling warmly.

“Do you want this, Rey?”

“Yes, more than anything,” she begged, cupping his face. “Please.”

His hungry eyes never left hers. “Join us, Kylo. Let’s give Rey what she wants.”

She felt Kylo slither up her legs, and she tore her gaze away to look at him, watching how he wrapped himself around her tightly before sitting on top of her waist. Her breath caught as he nudged at her ass, seeking permission to enter.

“Do it,” commanded Ben, his voice tinged with darkness. “Fill her up.”

She lifted her upper leg more and groaned when Kylo’s lubricant filled her ass. Then, he was inside her, and it was the most exquisite sense of fullness she had ever felt. After giving her a few moments, Kylo began moving at the same pace as Ben. Before long, they found their rhythm, and Rey took to gripping one of Kylo’s tentacles while the other hand scratched trails of red along Ben’s chest, alternating between saying their names as she neared her peak.

“Yes, Ben, Kylo, please, I need you both, Ben, Kylo, ah!”

With a final combined thrust, the two emptied themselves inside of her, and she came with a shout, feeling every inch of them. The orgasm was so good that she sat up with a start, surprised when she saw that she had made herself come in the process of having the dream.

After cleaning up, she went back to bed, content and surprised that her body didn’t seem to crave more. It was a first. Her scientist brain couldn’t help but muse that it was curious that Kylo’s lubrication seemed satisfied when she imagined being with both Ben and Kylo for some reason.

After that, she fell asleep in peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!


	8. Double The Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rey experiments with multiple tentacles, and Ben is no longer such a cockblocking tease

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday! You wanted more filthy smut and tooth-rotting fluff, right? Good, me too. HUGE thanks to [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl) for the beta and   
> [WinglessOne](WinglessOne) for the beautiful moodboard!

When she woke up the next morning, it was still dark, so she scurried out of bed and removed the butt plug. She was about to put on her bikini bottom when she realized she had no top. She had other ones she could wear, but this gave the best access to Kylo. 

But what if Ben came to watch the sunrise with her? He had said he would see, which wasn’t a no.

The thought of Ben taking one look at her, naked and needy, and pulling her to the ground to have tender sex on the beach as the sun rose had new slick appearing between her legs. She couldn't stop thinking of Ben, and when she imagined Kylo watching them, she almost reached between her legs to stop the burning need that flared to life. After checking that the coast was clear, she ventured outside naked, growing wetter the further she walked, unsure if she wanted Ben, Kylo, or both to greet her at the water's edge. The air was already humid, blanketing her skin in sticky heat, and she enjoyed the short trek, ready for the sunrise. 

By the time she reached the lapping waves, she felt like she was going to explode. Despite being naked, the water was higher in temperature, which helped. The sand was also soft and warm as she buried her feet in it to stay cooler, and she felt equal parts liberated and scared to be standing outside there. It was so tempting to go skinny dipping and find Kylo, but she decided to wait a little more.

There was no one around for miles. It filled her with relief that no one would see, but she missed Ben. She watched for a few minutes, and when the sun's rays began to make the sky lighter, she felt a tear roll down her cheek that she was still alone. 

Ben wasn’t coming. Another tear fell.

As she brushed them away, she heard a splash. Looking down in the direction of the splash, she saw Kylo's head and eyes pop out of the water, a low purr to greet her along with the wave of a tentacle. 

A wave of hot need almost made her knees buckle, and she crossed her legs as she tried to hide how much he affected her, more slick coating her thighs. She wanted him so badly, and for a moment, she felt ashamed.

_ But why should she _ , her inner voice whispered. Kylo came when she needed him, unlike Ben. Kylo wanted to share this special time with her, and she wanted to develop that connection to him. 

It made her feel better about waving to him and placing both feet in the inch of water present before widening her stance above him, showing him just how wet for him she was. 

She  _ needed _ relief, and she wanted Kylo. She wanted him to look at her in that intense way he did, where he only saw her. She wanted him to grab her posessively, to make her feel as though she were most important. He made her feel wanted, desired, as though nothing else mattered but her. 

Kylo growled loudly, and she knelt above him. She wanted him to see how much she wanted him, and it felt amazing to watch him rise quickly out of the water. Two tentacles wended their way up the insides of her legs, heightening her desire as his suckers kept climbing and kissing their way up. 

When he made it to her knees, his tongue darted out, tasting the skin of her calves without the salt water. For a moment, Rey feared that he wouldn't like her, and she sighed in relief when he chittered in satisfaction before licking up her leg, along a different trail than his tentacle. 

When he made it to her knees, he stopped, as though sniffing the air. She watched as his eyes darkened, and then he licked higher, zeroing in on her slick-covered thighs. As soon as his tongue tasted her, he went into a frenzy, tentacles frantically tracing the slick up to the apex of her thighs as his tongue swiped every which way on her skin, seeking whatever he could taste. 

Her hips canted more the closer his tongue drew to her center. "Kylo, I, oh that feels so good, just a little, yes, just like that. More. Closer."

The sun was rising, and she barely noticed the soft pinks and purples in the sky, as caught up in Kylo as she was. Each, long, slow lick of his warm tongue left goosebumps in its wake, and she had to clutch her knees for dear life as she tried to hold still for him. All she wanted was for him to fill her, but half of the excitement was in the anticipation. Watching him be so engrossed in her heightened her arousal, but she yearned to lay back and let him lick to his heart's content. 

When he finished with one leg, she guided his thick tongue to her other thigh, both making needy noises when he discovered more wetness there and lapped at it eagerly.

As her knees burned, she placed one hand on the sand, the other going to his head. "Kylo, wait." 

She was shocked when he stopped moving. Holding his tongue in place against her thigh, she lay on her back in the sand, opening her legs as far as she could for him, legs halfway in the water as the waves occasionally splashed her. Kylo raised his head and growled, and she ran her hands along his head and neck.

"If I don't lay back, I can't stay with you. I'm not in the water," she explained, hips rising with a strangled cry as he began his assault on her other thigh, his tongue lapping up everything he could taste. 

The higher he went, the more excited she became. He was so close. Her body tensed and gushed as he centered himself over her opening.

"Kylo, I, oh please, yes!" she cried when his tongue licked a line of fire from clit to slit. 

Her legs gave up, closing slightly. Kylo, however, had tasted her and found the source of the wetness he craved, and he wouldn't be satisfied until he drank in every last drop of her. 

Two tentacles came forward and gripped her thighs, parting them as far as she could go. As she hissed in discomfort, another tentacle slithered forward, dabbing his lubricant along her taut muscles on both legs. As she cried out with a fresh wave of wetness from his touch, his tongue swiped along her slit, dipping into her crease to find more. 

"Please, Kylo," she begged, body shaking with need. 

He purred before two more tentacles slid up and over her thighs, stopping at her folds. As his eyes laser-focused on the new dampness gathering at her entrance, his head moved in closer, inhaling her scent before his tongue darted between her lower lips, separating them slightly. As he growled at the taste, she whimpered. After the tips of the two new tentacles suctioned to her lower lips, he opened her up to his greedy gaze and tongue, and Rey thought she would die from the heat in his gaze. The way he stared at her, as though she were his next meal, had her coiling in, body ready and waiting for him to dive in. 

Finally, he did. The warm air and burning eyes on her exposed core left her breathless, and when he saw where the wetness came from, his tongue dove in, thrusting inside her. 

"Kylo! Yes!"

One flick, then two. The third went deeper, licking all around her tight walls seeking all he could taste. It was too much and not enough. Rey's hands latched onto his head and neck, pressing his mouth against her, calling his name like he held the answers to everything in life. 

There was that small part of her that hoped Ben would walk by and see her being eaten out by Kylo. All she wanted was to see him grow jealous and fuck her right there, with the same passion as Kylo. 

She wanted to be filled and pummeled by Kylo and Ben, and she was beginning to become not picky about who or when. Not when Kylo felt like this, his tongue easily filling her like two of her fingers. He was attentive and hungry, relentless in his thrusting as she edged closer to her peak.

"Kylo, I'm so close, just a little-ah!"

Another tentacle found her clit, and when his sucker surrounded her clit and clamped down as hard as he could, she came, covering his face and tongue in her cum. As she screamed his name, her body lifted up, holding onto him as tightly as she could. 

When she finally let go of him, loose and satisfied, Kylo purred and removed his tongue from inside her, licking her clean.

As he calmed down, she thought she might perhaps escape with only the one orgasm and not be a total wreck at work. Removing her hands from him and using them to sit up, she noticed him move as she said, "I don't think I need, ah!” She was satisfied, but he was clearly not since he was still licking her inner walls. She didn’t mind, grinding against him. “Never mind."

The grip on her core dropped off as his tongue swiped inside her, this time accompanied by a tentacle. With his tongue plastered to half of her and his suckers to the rest, she chanted his name as he moved within her, slowly at first and going faster as he tasted more of her. When he pressed a tentative tip into her ass, she came as she took a small part of his tip, the plug clearly working. As she flooded him with cum, he whined and slid his tongue in and out of her while his tentacle remained, easing her down from her aftershocks. When she was finally done, he pulled out and cleaned her up before all of his tentacles grabbed her, pulling her into the water with him. Lax and sated, she let herself be dragged, content to be with him.

As soon as the water reached her neck while sitting, he stopped moving, climbing on top of her until their faces were almost touching. Two tentacles still remained clutched to her legs spreading her wide, but the rest spread throughout her body, wrapping around and holding her arms in place before three tentacles went to her lower body and one to her breasts. 

As one tentacle nudged at her entrance, she rose to meet him, his tip entering her. She was worried about being over-sensitive. "Kylo," she hissed, "I shouldn't, but I want, I need you-"

She stopped talking when he thrust into her; she swallowed him completely. As his suckers pressed against her, Rey closed her eyes and focused on the feel of the hard ridges on his skin as they scraped against her walls. Her whimpers turned into full-bodied keening as he entered her again and again, picking up speed as she grew louder. 

Wanting to feel more on her breasts, she leaned into his skin and the raised ridges before going under, seeking the softness of his suckers on her pebbled peaks. Multiple suckers sucked and kissed her nipples until he stopped, resting against her. 

Curious as to why he stopped, she opened her eyes and saw that the tentacle at her breasts had come to her mouth, his thick, white lubricant gathering on the tip for her. Unable to resist, she swirled her tongue around him before sucking at his tip repeatedly, seeking more of his addictive taste. 

Her body felt like a coiled spring, slowly tensing and focusing on him, on the way he was quickly learning her body and knew already what she needed. 

He wasn't just a mindless animal; he was special and unique, and just as deserving of her love. 

And oh, did she want to give it to him. She didn't know what else he wanted besides kisses and to drink her cum, but she would figure it out, to make their moments together just as amazing for him as they were for her. She hummed around his tentacle as she sucked him dry, and he growled in response, excreting more onto her tongue. She lapped it up eagerly, the bobbing of her head in time with his thrusts as Rey drew closer to the precipice. 

When he found her clit, she sobbed out heady cries with her release, sucking him frantically, and he spurted a long rope of white inside her mouth and core at the same time. 

She ought to hate him for doing it. One moment, she felt sated and happy, and after that long gush, her body was primed for more. As soon as he tried to pull out, she clamped her walls down around him, grunting with the effort. She took him deeper in her mouth, and when his other tentacle grazed her neglected asshole, her hips tried to scoop him up and force him to enter her. Instead, she felt him spread more of his lubricant over the hole before placing his tip inside her. 

She cried out at the sensation as he stretched her further than earlier, and then he left her there, pulling out of her in all three places.

"Kylo?"

She gave him a confused look for stopping, worried he was going to leave her. Relief rushed through her as one tentacle pushed inside her mouth and stopped at the tip of her tongue. From there, hot jets of white were spurted onto her tongue as he moved to the back of her throat, emptying himself inside her. 

As her body shuddered all over, two of Kylo's tentacles at her pussy contracted, becoming slightly smaller in size. Then, she watched as both entered her at once.

"Ah! Kylo."

He paused after sliding an inch inside, her tight walls living for the friction created by the ridges all over his tentacles. Each rough brush made the stretch more bearable, and as his tips leaked more into her, the heat and magic of the lubricant allowed her to adjust easier. He slid in further, and she took the additional girth and size, the bite of pain quickly dissolving into pleasure as he continued. A little more stretch, and he thrust in further, continuing to fill her until she felt as though she were being split in two. 

She didn't think she could take him any further, but the longer he stayed there, the more she liked it. Before long, she grew antsy, all pain gone as she looked forward to feeling him pound into her with abandon as he had been doing earlier. 

Unable to move much, she slid her head back until just his tip remained inside her mouth. Then, she met his gaze and looked down specifically before sucking him into her mouth, tongue wrapping around him as he moved. 

Kylo growled his understanding, the two tentacles inside her moving as one until he was halfway inside her. With one powerful thrust, he was fully inside her, as far as she could take him. Her rear actually scooted back a few inches from the force of it, and she wanted  _ more.  _ As she hummed and used her teeth nip at him, he pulled all the way out of her, Rey gasping at the rough feel of his ridges as they slid out. 

As soon as she seemed able to handle it, he filled her again to bursting, her body moving backward again. She leaned her head back, eyes closing as she gave herself over to the pleasure. 

As he removed himself from her mouth, she cried, "Yes, Kylo, just like that! Again. Harder."

Her hips rolled with his, and he gave her what she demanded. He pumped into her harder and harder, and Rey's hips met his, stroke for stroke. Each time he filled her, she drew a little closer to her orgasm, and she knew this one would be more intense than any other he had given her based on how her body kept taking him. 

"Please, Kylo, I'm so close. You feel so good. Love the way you fill me just ri-oh yes!"

He pounded into her two more times, and by then, her anchoring hands felt dry land. Moments later, the tentacles wrapped around her arms pulled her to him, making her hit the sand with a grunt. 

"Please, Kylo, yes Kylo, I want you. Only you. Please fill me-Kylo!"

He loomed on top of her, covering her body. Using gravity, his final thrust inside her pussy went deeper than any other before it, and another tentacle sucker grasped her clit, sending her over the edge. 

She could die now of pleasure. That was what it felt like as she shattered into tiny pieces, the initial crack beginning where he split her in half and filled her just the way she had always wanted.

If vaginal penetration felt this good, she couldn't wait to have him filling all three of her holes at the same time. She floated away on air, uncaring and too blissed out for words, a sappy grin on her face, at least until a large wave came and made her swallow salt water. 

Hacking, she coughed up the salt water and cringed at the burn it left behind. Kylo, who had been content until then, was now worried, pushing her onto the beach and away from any more waves. As he nudged her face with protective growls, she finally opened her eyes and tried to grin for him.

"I'll be fine. I just … oh, I hate swallowing salt water."

His tentacles rubbed circles into her stomach and shoulders, applying heat as he massaged her to apologize. He buried his head in her breasts, licking the valley between her breasts. 

"Mm, thank you, Kylo. You're so sweet. You don't have to feel bad-ah!"

His thick, fleshy tongue wrapped around her breast, sliding up by slow degrees. Just before he reached her dusky peaks, a tentacle worked its way between her legs, finding her clit.

"Kylo, ah, you won't be able to do that. It's not-"

Her head leaned back as he flattened his tongue and swirled around her nipple before finding the other at the same time that he circled her clit. He seemed hellbent on giving her pleasure one more time to make up for earlier, and she remained in doubt until she felt fresh wetness between her legs. When a tentacle swirled itself in it, teasing the opening of her pussy, she raised her hips on reflex, and he slid down, thinking she was still in place. As a result, he pushed his tip into her ass, making her cry out as she took him more than earlier. 

"Kylo! Yes, oh yes, that was exactly what I wanted-oh yes!"

His tongue continued its ministrations until his head rested on top of her breast. He opened his mouth, taking as much of her as he could inside his mouth. As she felt the light scrape of teeth and tongue, followed by rubbery softness covering part of her breast, one hand pushed him further onto her, craving it as her body climbed again toward another orgasm. The other hand went to her butt, pushing him in when he continued to play with her clit, her muscles relaxing around him. When he realized what she was doing, he redoubled his efforts on her clit as he pushed inside her a little further, making her feel fuller than she ever had before. 

When he moved his mouth to her other breast, he pulled out and thrust back into her ass, making her shiver with pleasure. Pleasure spiked through her, and she climbed yet higher, close to coming. Soon, he began shallowly thrusting into her, and as they found their rhythm, she grew louder as she begged for release.

"I'm so close, Kylo. I can feel it. Just a little more. Please, just, yes! Kylo."

He bit down gently on her breast, his tongue soothing it afterward to remove all traces of pain. As she came, the tentacle in her ass filled her with his thick lubricant, and another tentacle stayed near her sensitive opening, brushing against it to find her cum. 

Once he was sure that she was done, he pulled away from her at all points, crawling down her body. Rey tried to get up on her elbows and watch, but at first, all she could focus on was the giant, red mark that his teeth left on her breast, marking her with the largest hickey she'd ever seen. 

She shouldn't have been so pleased to receive it, but so it was. He was claiming her for his, and she wanted him to do it. When his tongue began to clean her up, she met his eyes and held them as she watched his tongue lick her, obscene, wet noises coming from where his tongue met her skin and folds. 

When he pulled away, satisfied he had taken as much as he could from her, she sat up, body aching all over and sure that she would have trouble walking. 

"Kylo, what have you done to me?" she asked in disbelief. Her hand ran along his head and neck affectionately. "I've never wanted so many things like this, especially with someone like you. You should leave now before I feel the pain and curse you for wanting more while also being unable to move."

He purred until she pushed him toward the ocean. Finally he got the message and left, his eyes never leaving hers until he disappeared underwater. 

As soon as he was gone, she sighed in relief and collapsed on the beach. There was no longer a need to pretend to be strong, as he was becoming more protective of her and she didn't want to worry him. 

She would be fine. She just needed a long bath and time to recover. She lay on the beach like a starfish until she felt ready to move. Slowly she stood up, and sure enough, everything hurt. As she limped back to her cottage, she cursed Kylo because she was still aroused and in pain. She cursed even more when she realized she had no bathtub in her home, only a shower. 

Did Ben have a tub? It was tempting to ask him. She wondered about it all throughout her slow process of changing. 

She should've showered, but it wasn't a bath. She held out hope Ben had a bathtub and would let her. Anything to soothe the muscles that Kylo had abused as they had the best, hottest sex of her life. She limped to work, hoping Ben saw how bad a shape she was in and let her have the day off. 

Plus, with all the lubricant from Kylo rushing through her, she was always feeling wetness between her legs, and she was in no place to do anything about it. Touching Ben would only be torture of the worst kind, just like wearing a bra was. 

As she entered the small antechamber that led to the main part of the lab, she got a whiff of something fresh and fishy and realized that it was her. Not cleaning up meant she smelled like Kylo, which she didn't mind all that much, if she was being honest. 

She rather liked having his scent on her, just like his mark on her breast. How Ben would feel about it she dismissed from her mind, at least until she saw him. She had barely taken five slow steps before his face became horror-struck, rushing toward her and cradling her in his arms.

In that moment, Rey felt more guilty than she ever had, feeling as though she were cheating on Ben with Kylo, even if she wanted Ben to touch her and help her find relief in that moment. Kylo wasn't human, but she thought of him like a lover and a person. 

"What happened? Are you alright?" he asked, kissing her forehead. "How can I help?"

She groaned internally as his kisses made her stomach and legs clench around nothing. "Do you have a bathtub?" she asked, cutting right to the chase.

"Yes?" he asked, sniffing her and grinning. "Why? I don't think you smell bad. You smell really good actually."

Guilt wracked through her as she told a half-truth. She was a terrible person, especially because she was already thinking about the next day when she could spend time with Kylo again, right after Ben took care of her like the patient, good lover she imagined him to be.

"I exercised a lot this morning with Kylo, and all of my muscles ache in the worst possible way. I need hot water to relax them," she explained as Ben's face became serious.

"I understand. I have a tub, and it's yours. Take the whole day to recover.” His eyes were so soft and caring, and it made her itch to kiss him because of how good he was to her. “Here, I'll get you to the tub faster than you can."

In a moment, he held her in his arms, bridal-carrying her into his quarters and into a giant clawfoot tub with brass fixtures. 

Setting her on the edge of the tub, he asked, "Do you need help removing your clothes or starting the bath? I'll do whatever you need."

The thought of him seeing her naked was too much to pass up. "Both please," she requested quietly. 

He smiled and got the hot water going, throwing in some bathing oils he had on the side. Then, he bent down in front of her, eyes taking her in eagerly. 

"Shirt first," he stated, grabbing the bottom edge of her shirt.

She gingerly lifted her arms, allowing him to slip the shirt off her. As the t-shirt revealed pale, soft skin, Rey preened as she watched Ben's eyes become glued first to her stomach and second to her pebbled breasts. When he saw Kylo’s mark, she observed a bulge in his pants form, his tongue brushing against his teeth as his eyes narrowed and darkened. 

He moved in as if drawn by magic, compelled to draw close to her breasts. He didn't stop until there were scant inches between them, his tongue capable of darting out and licking her nipple if he would but move. 

His mouth opened, and the temptation was too much. "Ben," she pleaded, hands going to his shoulder and head to close the distance. "Please."

"Will it hurt?" he asked, unable to look away. 

"No. Not when it's you," she replied, both hands guiding his head forward as she leaned in, meeting him halfway. 

He licked a hot stripe up her breast and stopped at her nipple, and she moaned uncontrollably, pushing him closer. Within seconds, his lips latched onto her nipple, sucking it like he was created for the sole purpose of sucking and giving her pleasure. 

"Yes, Ben, please," she groaned, holding him there even after he stopped. 

It wasn't long before he dove back in, licking her breast all over as his hands got to work pushing down her pants. She lifted her hips slightly, and he yanked her pants and underwear down at the same time, thick fingers burrowing themselves inside her folds. 

At first, it was tender and hurt, but there was something about his touch that seemed to make all the pain melt away, leaving her with blind need as she got off on two of his fingers with ease. 

"So thick. So good,” she moaned, “I need you inside me, Ben-"

"Shh, I'll give you whatever you want," he promised, getting up and kissing her briefly before adding a third finger inside her, her growing slick making it easy to take him. He groaned. "You're so wet for me. So tight. I want to taste you."

She spread her legs slowly and pushed his head down. As soon as he saw how wet and slippery her thighs were, he growled. "All for me. You're such a good girl."

"Yes. I'm yours," she said, pushing his head between her thighs, crying out when his tongue and lips ate her out. She was dangerously close to the edge of her orgasm by the time he slowed down, and she couldn't bear going unsatisfied now.

"Don't stop, Ben. Please. I'm so close. I just need-"

"I know exactly what you need," he said, pushing her legs apart. She cringed in pain for her sore leg muscles, but his name filled the entire lab when he sucked her clit into his mouth. 

As she came, she fell apart and onto him, using him for support for her boneless body. Ben licked and sucked every last bit of her cum until she was spotless. 

"Mm, you look beautiful and so happy," he murmured, looking up into her dazed, blissed out eyes. When his eyes landed on Kylo's mark again, he traced it. "What's this?"

"It's fine, not painful at all. It's nothing-"

"It doesn't look like nothing," he said tracing the line of Kylo's teeth all around her breast. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

She closed her eyes and opted to tell the truth. It would soothe some of her guilt, and then Ben could do what he deemed right. Keeping secrets from someone you cared for wasn't right. 

"Kylo did it. I'm sorry. I don't think he meant to hurt me, even if it looks that way. I feel great, but you-"

"Are you sure it doesn't hurt?" he interrupted, making her do a double-take as she took in his relieved face. 

"Yes, I'm absolutely sure. It's one of the few things that doesn't hurt-"

"Good." He leaned in and kissed her, the kiss turning passionate quickly. As he kissed along her jaw and neck, he murmured, "Because you're mine and always will be. I can't, I don't want to lose you."

His lips nipped along her collarbone as his hands massaged her breasts and tweaked her nipples. She didn't understand how she could still feel aroused by Ben after all she had been through, so she assumed that it was the work of Kylo's lubricant as she felt a familiar heat and ache course through her. 

"You won't," she promised, bringing his lips to her unmarked breast. 

"Thank you." He licked and sucked that nipple until her hips jerked, seeking his touch. "I want to claim you," he said, fingers going to her core before plunging into her. 

"Yes," she rasped. "Please, Ben. Do it."

As his fingers stretched and filled her, he bit down on her breast, making her come loudly. His tongue and lips helped soothe the bitten area, and then he was diving between her legs one last time. 

He was taking too long, so Rey turned off the hot water, as the tub was now full. She tried to pull him off, but he licked harder, his long tongue making it feel too good to stop him.

"Ben, you're going to ruin me for anyone else," she gasped, laying on top of him. 

"Good. You'll never know anyone else but me," he declared, finishing her off with a final lick. "I hope you feel a little better now."

"I do," she said with a weak smile. "You're incredible. Thank you."

"Anything for you."

Then he was helping her into the hot water, the heat doing exactly what she needed. Once she was seated, she finally let down her three buns, the first time Ben had seen her with her hair down. As the long, brown hair floated around her shoulders, Ben’s eyes widened in awe, admiring it for a few seconds.

“It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen your hair like this before; you should leave it down more often,” he breathed before running his fingers through it, starting at her scalp and working his way down. 

Rey’s eyes closed in pleasure, humming as she let him comb through her hair to his heart’s content. “If you do this every single time, I will.”

Ben stayed for a little while, running his long fingers through her hair until all it was smooth. When he started massaging her scalp, she moaned slightly and begged for similar treatment for her sore muscles. When he finally finished with her scalp, he used his expensive shampoo and lathered her up, enjoying removing every last bit of shampoo from her hair underwater. 

“How do you feel?” he asked as he dropped some body wash in his hands. “Ready for me to wash the rest of you?”

“Yes!” she cried, leaning against him as he covered and massaged her back, arms, and more with his sandalwood scented body wash. 

She didn’t understand how she had gotten so lucky. The more she watched him, helping with no other agenda than to take care of her, made her fall for him just a little more. She had liked him and been attracted to him for a while, but this warm feeling she felt whenever she looked at Ben was different. It didn’t burn like her lust for Kylo. However, it was constant, always there and steadily creeping up in its intensity, and she was powerless to resist. The thought of being able to spend every day with him brought her genuine joy, just as she did at the thought of being able to kiss and comfort him, just as he had done for her.

She wanted to see him just as deliriously happy as she felt. As much pleasure as she had received, she would be content to smother him with just as much attention and show him how much she cared about him and wanted to put him first.

Was this love? Was this what it felt like, to want another person and their happiness more than her own? Could it be love, or was it too soon?

She pondered those questions as he continued to wash her, those thoughts finally being dismissed when he touched the edges of her breasts. Having his slippery hands grasp her breasts almost made her climb out of the tub and demand more, as good as it felt. But, she resisted, relishing each pinch and touch. 

When his hands dipped into the water and along her seam, she moaned, “Please. Touch me. It hurts a little, but I need you.”

“Anything for you, Sweetheart,” he murmured, kissing her.

His large hands worked her slowly, his eyes memorizing each reaction she gave as he moved inside her. When he was satisfied, he crooked two fingers inside her, sending sizzles of desire rushing through her. When he saw her body jump in response, he noted the spot for later.

“Again, Ben. I’m close,” she moaned, circling her clit, at least until he swatted her hands away.

“ _ I’m _ taking care of you from now on,” he admonished. “If you need it, tell me.”

She guided another of his fingers to her clit, showing him how she liked to be rubbed. “Touch me here.” As he repeated the action, she leaned her head back, and he kissed her as he pinched her clit, sending her over the edge.

He swallowed her cries and kept thrusting shallowly inside her, until she recovered from her aftershocks. After he licked her juices off of his fingers, he kissed her forehead and let her be. She lay in the tub until she became pruny, unable to stop thinking of Ben. 

As she dressed, she loved looking at the two marks on her breast. Ben wanted her, and that was all that mattered. When she left the bathroom, Ben was there, helping her under the covers of his down comforter before bringing her lunch in bed. 

"Eat and rest those sore muscles. You need to be ready for tomorrow. Do you feel better now? You're walking better," he noted. 

"Getting there," she said honestly. "Rest is what I need after such a punishing bout … of exertion."

Relieved she caught herself in time, she ate as Ben told her what she was missing at work. When she was ready to nap, he leaned in and kissed her cheek before leaving her alone. 

"Sleep as long as you need. I'll be here when you wake up," he promised. "Most likely with food."

She grinned. "That would be nice. And if I'm awake, could we watch the sunset together?"

His mouth gaped until he realized he was doing it. "Of course, Sweetheart. If you're awake."

She slept the rest of the afternoon and most of the evening. By pure luck, she woke up an hour before sunset. Since her body was feeling loads better, they carried their dinner outside and ate on a picnic blanket, watching the sunset as Rey sat between Ben’s legs. Ben didn’t eat much, as absorbed as he was in running his hands up and down her arms and back. Once the food was cleared off, they lay down on the blanket side-by-side, hands clasped. 

"Thank you for all this, Ben," she sighed, squeezing his hand. "Truly. I don't deserve this."

Which gave her an idea. She sat up and moved to kneel between his legs, a large bulge in his pants. 

“Yes, you do. You deserve-what are you doing?” he asked, voice choked as he sat up.

“If I deserve this, then you deserve something even more,” she said, reaching for his pants and palming him. His cock jumped in greeting, and he groaned.

“Rey, I can’t touch you-”

“Why?” she asked, frustrated as she pulled away, folding her arms. “Are you sure you want me? Do you not trust me?” 

“No, it’s not that,” he insisted, hands flailing at his sides. “I do want you. More than anything.”

“Then why not let me do this for you?” she asked with pleading eyes. “I want to do it for you so badly. Is it because I’m inexperienced?”

His eyebrows shot up at that tidbit of information, his hands caressing her cheeks to reassure her. “No. Not at all. That makes me want you all the more.” His head ducked down as he bit his lip, hiding the indecision in his eyes. “I’m more concerned that I’m inexperienced. I can’t give you what you want; I won’t last once you start touching me.” 

His eyes darted up worriedly, and she cradled his face. “That’s okay. We’ll learn together. I want  _ you _ . You’ve already done so much for me. Let me take care of you now. Just this once,” she begged, hands going to his fly. “I want to make you happy and to taste you. Please,” she pleaded, meeting his eyes.

She secretly wanted to compare the taste of him to Kylo, how different they would be.

“Just this once,” he agreed, leaning on his elbows as he watched her make quick work of shoving down his pants, his thick, red cock springing free.

“Do you always go commando?” she murmured, leaning in and giving him a tentative lick.

“Yes. Underwear are torture devices,” he groaned, eyes trained on her. "Rey, you look so perfect there. I want to see your tight little mouth wrapped around me before I come in your mouth."

"Mm, yes." She obeyed, taking his tip inside her mouth, sucking greedily. He jerked involuntarily, moaning her name, and she took him in further, remembering how she had taken Kylo's tentacle.

"Rey, you're so good, so tight. I want to fill your mouth with my cock-"

_ This  _ is what Rey craved. She wanted that praise that only Ben could give. Kylo couldn't talk, but oh, the dirty mouth Ben had was worth the wait. She hoped she could sit on him later and return the favor the same way he was now, giving her what she craved in every way. 

After taking him in halfway, she ran her tongue along his length twice before sliding off of his with a wet pop. When she went down on him twice more in a similar fashion, she heard his groans and loved how pained with pleasure he looked, eyes shut tightly as he reveled in the feel of her around him, as though he were thrusting into her mouth. When she leaned back to tease him, his hands roughly brought her lips against the burning skin at his base. As she licked him all over, he stopped and jerked away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that-”

“Don’t be afraid; I feel it, too,” she said, eyes black with lust. “I like it when you’re rough and needy. Don’t stop. I want you to tell me where you want me; I’ll take you deeper this time.” She licked the pre-cum off his tip as he let out a strangled cry. “You taste so good.”

“Rey.”

It was his only warning before his hands buried themselves in her hair, sheathing himself in her open, eager mouth. Her tongue traced the veins of his cock, exploring the satin smooth skin, and when he wouldn’t go further inside her mouth, pulsing on edge and seemingly afraid, she tested her jaw to make sure she was ready. Then, she looked up and met his eyes, overwhelmed by the loving adoration she saw in his eyes. That was all she needed. She bobbed her head and took him deeper, pleased when she took him all the way, and she loved watching him close his eyes and throw his head back, hair a mess and mouth making an “o” of pleasure. 

She held him there, getting used to him at the back of her throat, while she circled and played with his balls with her free hand, encouraging him to look at her. When their eyes met, she pulled back, until only his tip remained inside as she lapped at it. 

“Eyes on me. Please,” she requested, licking him again. “Take me. Use me. I’m yours.”

He groaned, flushed and sweaty, and thrust hungrily inside her mouth, making an animalistic noise in his throat as she ran her teeth lightly along him. 

“More,” she begged.

“You’re unreal,” he panted, leaning over and kissing her forehead. “Are you sure?”

She sucked harder. “Yes.”

He entered her mouth, first with shallow thrusts and then with quicker, deeper ones. As his grip on her head tightened, his pace became punishing, and she watched him race toward his orgasm, until he was barely holding on, movements erratic as he gazed at her, unable to stop looking now. 

“Ben, please,” she begged as she pulled back one last time. “Come for me. Let me taste you.”

As she took him all the way, he cried her name into the night, his cum spurting and filling her mouth. She swallowed eagerly, the taste strangely reminiscent of Kylo. 

“Rey, I’m not going to be able to look at your lips without growing hard, imagining you taking my cock so well,” he said, now flaccid and pulling her on top of him. “Your body needs to heal quickly. You deserve so much after that.” He got up and cradled her close to him. "I'm going to take such good care of you."

She snuggled against him. "I want that, as long as you’re happy, too. I loved watching you come. I want to do that again; I loved it."

"I love you," he admitted, kissing her and getting away from her quickly, before she could respond. "You don't have to answer yet, but you deserve to know that. I love you."

He grabbed the basket of food and disappeared inside, leaving Rey puzzled and out of sorts as she stared at the now dark sky. Getting up, she grabbed the blanket and headed to her home, mind fixated on one important fact: he loved her! 

When she got inside, she stripped and climbed into bed, imagining Ben's fingers inside her. In no time, she came with a joyful shout and stroked her asshole with lube, purposely imagining Ben filling her with his cock there. She wanted it, wanted to feel him everywhere and how he would split her in half, just like Kylo had. The largest butt plug stretched a lot more, but as she worked it in, she loved it. The same sense of fullness she had with Kylo had been achieved again, and she fell asleep quickly after that.

Her dreams, though, continued to be bizarre. That night, her guilt sat heavily with her. 

As they lay on the picnic blanket, somehow they both ended up naked. Then, Ben was on top of her, thrusting into her and telling her she was his and his alone. It was wonderful until Kylo moved into focus, watching them both with smug eyes. 

All the same, the longer Kylo watched, the wetter she became. She kept her eyes on him until Ben's voice snapped her out of her daze.

"Eyes on me, Rey. You're mine. Not his."

Her voice stuttered, unused to the dark tone to his voice. "I know."

"Kylo can't talk to you, nor will you ever have the connection with him that you have with me. You're mine," he declared, moving faster toward their shared climax. 

"Yes. Yours," she replied, nodding emphatically. She was shocked when Kylo disappeared out of her peripheral vision, and not a little disappointed. 

"Always mine," insisted Ben, his bottom half suddenly becoming draped in shadow, moonlight shining against it in smooth waves. 

"Yes," she grit out as he thrust deeper into her, filling her more than ever as only one creature had been able to do. "Ah, Kylo-"

For a moment, she panicked at calling him the wrong name.

"Yes?" Ben asked, grinning smugly as he pointed down. 

That was when she saw the black tentacles of Kylo that were Ben's bottom half, and then he pulled out of her, showing her how big he was for her. 

Ben's hot breath tickled her ear. "That's right; you'll always be mine, no matter what."

She whimpered. “Ben-”

“No. Call me Kylo. He’s who you want, isn’t he?” he asked, teasing the entrance of her pussy but never filling her. 

“N-no-”

“Liar! Call me Kylo, unless you don’t want to come,” he demanded, stroking her more but not entering her.

“Ben, please-”

“No.” He kissed her passionately before a tentacle filled her mouth. At first she didn’t move, not wanting to admit how much she wanted to take it, but Ben was persistent, going deeper. “I know you want this. You cry for it every day on the beach.” His voice became deadly. “Say my name. Say it.”

She moaned, ashamed to admit how much she wanted it. Her tongue twitched, and then she finally couldn’t help herself, wrapping her tongue around the tentacle and sucking greedily as he inserted it further, pumping her mouth full with his lubricant. As soon as she swallowed all of it, he pulled out, his pouty lips and black eyes boring down on her as he plundered her mouth, the tip of a tentacle teasing her clit.

As she shuddered, he pulled back. “Say it. Call me Kylo. I’ll give it to you rough, just the way you like it with him.”

She whimpered, almost worn down. “Please.”

“Please, who?” he asked, pressing two tentacles against her opening, making her cry out. 

“Please, Kylo!”

“Good girl.” He inserted one tentacle inside her, and she almost came from that alone. “Say my name again.”

“Kylo, please, I need you. Kylo, I want-yes!”

“You’re mine,” he said, thrusting two throbbing tentacles into her. “Always.”

“Yes!” 

As she yelled Kylo’s name, she came, and he followed soon after, both tentacles giving her more than she could handle. She watched him pull out and admire how his cum spilled out of her, coating her legs and drooling onto their blanket. 

She shouldn’t be further turned on at watching how he covered and marked her, but she was. When she looked up, he smiled smugly. “Still want more of Kylo, don’t you?”

She woke up in a cold sweat, sheets a mess. As she moved to her tiny sofa, she lay there, confused and desperately wishing that Ben and Kylo were the same person. It would make her feel less guilty, and it would explain why she never saw Ben swimming, or why he encouraged her to spend so much time with Kylo. However, her scientist brain said that it was impossible; normal people just didn’t transform into octopuses. As much as she hated to admit it, it was all wishful thinking on her part. It still didn't help her know what to do about Kylo, though, and so she went back to sleep, restless. 

For once, it wasn’t because she couldn’t stop thinking of Ben and Kylo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!!


	9. Surprises All Around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rey resists Kylo momentarily...so Rey and Ben get it on instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl) for the beta and to   
> [WinglessOne](WinglessOne) for the amazing moodboard!

When Rey woke up later in the morning, it was dark, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep. She removed the butt plug and agonized over what to do about Kylo until sunrise. Without thinking, she got out of bed and opened her door to the humid, stagnant air, still naked.

When her leg twinged, images of Ben surfaced, of how tender he was, of how well he cared for her. How much he loved her, even if they had worked together less than a month. Crazier things had happened, and he wasn’t rushing her. 

She had to learn to say no to Kylo. The wait for Ben would be worth it. He would tell her the last of his secrets in a few days’ time, and she suspected they’d finally consummate their relationship, at long last.

And if Ben was somehow a murderer or otherwise terrible person, then she could leave and choose Kylo. Either way, she’d have a wonderful lover, even if she had no idea how to have a real relationship with a sea creature.

She’d worry about the logistics later, if it actually happened. Which it wouldn’t. 

Mind made up, she found one of her other bathing suits and put it on before walking outside. 

All throughout the walk on the burning sand, images of Ben made her strong, but as soon as she reached the crashing waves, Kylo appeared, eager to see her. All images of Ben vanished, and her body screamed at her. Who was she kidding? Not herself. She knew she wanted Kylo, and she wasn't sure if she'd ever tire of wanting him. She could only hope. 

But Ben was better. 

And not there. 

She really hated her body sometimes, but she stayed strong, not entering the water, even though it was refreshingly cold when it splashed against her feet. When Kylo made a pitiful, mournful noise, her conscience ate at her. He at least deserved some reason.

Sitting down carefully on the hot sand, she stretched out her legs, feet barely touching the water. “Sorry, Kylo. Not today. My body isn’t ready for more with you quite yet after the pounding you gave me yesterday.”

It was true. She really should relax another day, even if she could move normally. She was still sore. She watched him wrap limply around her feet, and she wriggled free, completely out of the water that time.

“No, Kylo. Not now.” Her tone was more curt and frustrated than she liked, so she said more quietly, “I’m sorry.”

Kylo moved out of the water a little, and it was then that Rey realized that Kylo truly was different since he could breathe out of water for longer than any other species of octopus. She had always wondered what species he was; this said plenty. He must be absolutely fascinating and complex inside to breathe in both environments, but she was sure it wasn't forever. That he would do it for her said plenty. 

She was worth it for some reason, and she was humbled by it.

As soon as he was close, she ran her hands along his head and neck, as slowly as she could. He wrapped around her legs, leaving little space between them. Resting her forehead against the top of his, she whispered, “No. Not now. Please just … stay with me.”

He purred, and then his tentacles suctioned to her arms and legs, massaging them in the way she loved. He also tried to massage near the apex of her thighs to help the muscles there, but she only let him for a few minutes. 

“Yes. That’s perfect for now. Thank you, Kylo,” she said, holding him against her. 

They sat there until her back began to ache. When she lay on her side, he climbed onto her, stretched out along and around her. His head rested on her shoulders, and he chittered, making her feel at ease. 

At some point, she must have fallen asleep, for the next thing she felt was someone circling her breast, making her feel warm all over.

“Mm, Ben, that feels  _ so _ good,” she said groggily, at least until more pressure was added, pinching her nipple and making her wake up.

As she sat up suddenly, she threw Kylo off of her into the sand as he barely held onto an arm, leg, and her breast. As he flew off, she saw the shock in his eyes, and guilt wracked her.

“Oh gosh, Kylo! I’m so sorry!” She quickly picked him up and carried him into the water for fear of hurting him, repeating she was sorry repeatedly. He was quiet and trembling, eyes going between hers and her arms out of fear of further reprisal. When she was sure that he was safe, she reprimanded him, “Don’t do that! That’s what you get for touching a sleeping person like that. You scared me!”

He made a sad, gurgling noise, and she took that as his apology. Kissing him once, she moved out of the water and waved goodbye. He looked sad to see her go, but he seemed willing to let it slide that one time since she had really scared him, too. 

Not many had managed to throw him like that or catch him so off-guard.

Rey went back to her cottage, changing into work clothes and pleased with her self-restraint. She hummed as she walked into work, at least until she saw Ben.

He looked stormy and  _ pissed. _

He was kicking a stuck desk drawer and muttering obscenities under his breath. His hair was mussed from running his hands through it too much, and his wild, angry eyes make her think of Kylo in their untamed intensity as he pushed her into the sand and split her in half with two tentacles. 

He reminded her of how she felt: sexually frustrated. She hoped that he would be more willing to do more of what they did yesterday. 

She stepped into the area, and he didn't even notice her until she spoke.

"Ben? Are you alright?"

One word from her, and his frustration melted away. The darkness within was banished by her words, and he jogged toward her. 

"Rey. You're here at last."

She smiled as his hands reached for her cheeks. "Yes. Sorry for the delay. I-"

She was cut off from saying more as his lips covered hers, consuming her as though he hadn't eaten in weeks. 

"Don't apologize. You did everything right. I love you so much," he said between kisses, moving to her jaw as she wondered silently why he would say such a thing. "Not being near you, not touching you, physically hurts."

"I feel the same way," she said breathlessly, deciding to put that question away for later. 

Ben was a mad man on a mission, and she couldn't have been more excited to be his focus.

His hands circled her waist and fisted her hair, holding her in place to kiss her thoroughly, as though he wanted to engrave himself upon her lips, and Rey loved every second of it, moaning when she felt the large bulge in his pants against her.

_ This _ was the animal passion in Kylo that she wanted Ben to have. It made her heart and blood pound madly, every nerve on fire and body acutely aware of him. Of how much she needed him. 

She couldn't remember the last time she was turned on so fast, and Ben only drove her higher, each kiss more needy and possessive than the last. 

"I've missed you, too," she said, making him chuckle as they broke apart for air.

"I've missed you so much," he rasped, quickly diving back in as her hands ripped apart his shirt, buttons flying. "I've had the worst morning-"

"Let me make it better," she insisted, palming him through his pants and making him growl. 

As her other hand learned every inch of skin on his chest, she walked backwards to better kiss him back. At the same time she heard his zipper slide down, her legs hit the table, and he chose that moment to pull her waist down, until she was sitting on the low table. He pushed her legs apart to stand between them, his cock now at her eye level. 

"Need more," he groaned, his erection straining through the open part of his pants. "Have to take care of you, though."

"Please, Ben, let me help you, too," she begged, stroking him as desire burned through her. "I want more of you."

Torn, he looked between her and the desk. Mind made up, he picked her up and carried her to his bed before both stripped. Rey sat eagerly on the edge of the bed, only for Ben to nudge her toward his pillows.

“Since you’re still sore, we’ll both help each other. Sit up a moment.” She did as she was told, and he hummed, lying on his back. “Now lie on top of me. I want to bury my face in your pussy until you’re screaming my name.”

Her core clenched, new wetness appearing between her legs at the new sex position. Eyes wide with understanding, she crawled on top of him until she was positioned over him, his ruddy cock a vision. Rey couldn't stop staring at it, mouth opening and tongue lolling as the heat within her became unbearable, more of her dripping into his open mouth. 

As much as she wanted him buried inside her, she wanted to taste him more. As soon as she found the pre-cum on his tip, she pounced, licking him and enjoying the salty taste. He groaned and spread apart her folds, licking her greedily. 

"Ben," she moaned, angling her hips to force his tongue inside her. She needed relief, and Ben seemed to need it just as much. She intended to give just as good as she took. She licked his tip again before licking the whole length, base to tip. His strangled moan as she reached his base made her lick and suck the area eagerly, loving all the sounds he made as he squirmed and jerked.

“I can’t wait anymore; I  _ need  _ to taste you,” he panted, finally entering her with relish. “I’ve missed your taste so much-”

“Then stop talking and  _ do _ it,” she grumbled before hollowing her cheeks and taking him inside her mouth and enjoying the feeling of his long, thick tongue inside her. 

His large hands gripped her ass cheeks, firmly holding her in place as he devoured her like a starved man. She heard his muffled pants as he came up for air before burrowing himself inside her with greater zeal. Rey could only hold him tighter, pressing harder against him as her need for him soared, rapidly approaching her peak. For a time, neither spoke, each movement part of an endless feedback loop that spurred the other on more. The wet sounds of flesh and tongue meeting echoed through the room, punctuated by little gasps and moans as they each enjoyed what their partner did. The more her head bobbed, taking him deeper, the louder he became. The faster he went, the more she voiced her approval.

"Harder," she said, mouth almost full. “I’m so close.”

He groaned and sped up, fingers wandering, giving her what she wanted. He slammed into her mouth, until he hit the back of her throat, and she cried in ecstasy as fresh wetness soaked his tongue. 

"I'm close," he said on a shuddering breath before pulling almost all the way out and filling her mouth again. 

With each thrust, he grew more erratic and violent, and she grasped his balls, trying to bring him to completion. He jerked and circled her clit, applying pressure. 

“Ben,” she said with shuddering breaths, “I’m going to-”

"Come for me!” he roared, pinching her clit and sighing as she fell apart around him, toes curling and body relaxing on top of him. “So beautiful.” 

For a second, she wondered why he just lay there, clearly wanting release but not giving in. She stroked him worriedly. “Ben? Why are you-”

“Because you waited for me," he rasped before she felt something wet and viscous dribble on her tongue. 

It tasted familiar, like seaweed, and then her whole body was on fire, a soul-deep ache crashing through her and making her need to taste him overwhelming. She sucked him greedily, and he roared her name, filling her mouth with his cum before she swallowed happily. 

As soon as she finished, she tried to roll off of him, but he wouldn’t let her. It was then she realized he was still half-hard.

"We’re not done yet. Relax," he said, nosing her.

Her eyebrows knit together. "I don’t understand."

“I want to take it slow with you now,” he said, kissing her everywhere. “Let me have this. Please.”

“I’m yours,” she sighed, unable to say no to him. Her legs wrapped around his head until his tongue found her opening, diving inside with scientific curiosity. For a long time, he reached in and licked, watching how she responded to his various thrusts and explorations. When he was satisfied, he concentrated and did only the ones that made her scream, and she began to reach for another orgasm. 

When she seemed close, he paused, pulling away briefly. She shivered in anticipation until his pinkie entered her ass, and she clawed at him, howling for more. Satisfied, he thrust his tongue inside her in time with his pinkie, and after a few strokes, she cried, "Ben, please-oh yes! Ben!"

He sucked her clit into his mouth, and his tongue wound its way in to finish her off, drinking in her release. As she lay there, spent and sated, she couldn’t help but notice that he was almost fully erect again. The temptation to have sex was strong, and she plotted ways to convince him, her body all revved up, as though she had swallowed Kylo's lubricant. She rolled off that time, and he let her, leaning in beside her.

"Rey, look at me," he demanded.

When their eyes met, neither saw the messy, sweaty hair or red faces, only the eyes of adoration. 

"I love you," he said quietly, kissing her cheek as he rendered her speechless. 

He tried to leave the bed, to not pressure her to say anything, but she was faster, pulling him next to her. "Stay with me and cuddle?"

He grinned. "Whatever you want. I want you to fully recover from your exertions yesterday."

As they lay beside one another, Rey was again reminded of how much she couldn't have with Kylo. The talking and little jokes, the cuddling, and the communication in general. Ben’s giant presence made everything wonderful, and his kisses and love words made it perfect. 

They didn't get much done that day, but neither noticed nor cared. She tried a couple times to make a pass, but he had some of the best self-control she had ever sen. After a time, she let it go, sure that he would tell her when he was ready. He was wrapped around her, only moving to use the bathroom and grab food for them and their animals, and they were together. It was all that mattered.

It was after dinner, and when Ben came back, he kissed her, brushing against a nipple. 

"I'll be back. Need to use the bathroom," he said before walking away. 

The problem was that the door didn't close all the way. She crawled out of bed, determined to tell him or close it for him, and her hand touched the doorknob when she heard him groan.

"Rey."

She ducked her head in, worried until she saw him masturbating, hands running quickly up and down his length. She shouldn't be watching this, but she was fascinated by the lewd, forbidden display, wanting to be the one to touch him like that. With his head back and eyes closed, he was mesmerizing, and the faster he stroked himself, the wetter she became. Her hands went to her center, rubbing furiously to keep up with his pace. 

When both were hanging on by a thread, he firmly squeezed his base, and she moaned loudly, imagining it was her mouth doing that. 

That was when Ben turned and eyed her hungrily, and she realized she had revealed herself.

"Ben, I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't, but I couldn't help myself. I-"

He stalked toward her. "I enjoyed every second of it. Don't be. I  _ wanted  _ you to see and hear me. To see what I like," he said, kissing her. "I want you to know  _ everything _ ."

"Come back to bed, and we can finish one another off," she wheedled, pulling him with her. "I want your cock deep inside me."

"But I thought you were still sore," he said, watching her get on all fours, eyes unable to stop staring at her pert ass as it swayed back and forth. 

"Not when you touch me," she explained, turning her head to watch him curiously. "See something you want?"

"You. All of you, from the naughty mouth to the perfect breasts and even more perfect ass. I want to claim it," he said, moving behind her to run his fingers down her crack and pressing a pinkie at her asshole again. 

"Oh, yes," she cried in relief. “I was … a little afraid you wouldn’t be interested in anal. I know not everyone is. But after earlier-”

As she blushed, he brought a hand forward, caressing her jaw lovingly. “As it so happens, I love anal. But, I’d be willing to try anything you’re interested in.  _ Never  _ be ashamed of what you like and trust me.”

She nodded, close to tears. “Thank you. I just, I can’t help thinking that what I want is really weird-”

“Believe me, what I want is even weirder,” he replied before kissing her. “I’m going to fill you up and show you just how much I want it and want you. Would you like that?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. Do you have any lube? I've been practicing before I go to bed."

He grinned. "I do. Close your eyes and relax."

"Okay," she replied, spreading her legs. She hummed when another hand of his slid along her slit, teasing her. 

"Such a good girl for me, getting ready for me without me having to ask. I'm going to reward you for it, Sweetheart," he said, kissing each cheek before sliding the finger at her slit inside her. "Relax. I've got you. I'll take good care of you."

"Please, Ben. I trust you." She moaned uncontrollably as a second finger entered her, both moving in and out slowly. 

He worked her back up to her previous level of arousal, smearing her slick around and inside her other hole before she heard him grunt. "Got it," he said through gritted teeth.

She felt the warm liquid soothe her ring of muscles, and when his index finger entered her there, he got a fingertip in before she cried out at the intrusion. 

"Ben! I, uh, feels so good. More," she demanded after she adjusted to him inside her ass, pleased when she heard him grunt again. 

After he rubbed more on her, he re-entered her and went to his first knuckle, and after the initial bite of pain, the stretch was delicious. The rest of her body was attuned to his every touch, poised and ready to fall apart at the slightest provocation. 

"You're so tight. I'm going to fill you, make you feel me here all night," he promised. 

"Yes, yes, Ben. Please!"

With another grunt, he applied more lubricant to her ass, allowing him to go to his second knuckle. "Almost. There."

Three fingers circled her pussy before entering her, making her come. As her head drooped, she felt more relaxed, and he inserted his index finger inside her ass all the way, in addition to his three fingers in her pussy. As the shock of the stretch wore away, the heat and sense of fullness she had far outweighed everything else, and she started to reach for another peak. 

"This is, oh, I want so much more," she said, moving up and down his slick digit as she fully adjusted. 

"So you like this?" he asked excitedly. "Want to do it again?"

"Like it?" She opened her eyes and saw him bent over her, eyes focused on his finger as he sent her reeling closer to her next orgasm. "I  _ love  _ it. I want to do it tomorrow, or soon after if it smarts in the morning. I've never felt so full."

"You haven't felt full yet. I'm going to fill you to bursting," he promised, moving faster.

"Yes, yes," she chanted, over and over again. "Take me. Claim me. I want you!"

When another hand found her clit, her orgasm consumed her, barely able to stay up as she woke up every animal in the lab with her cries of ecstasy. 

"Yes, perfect, Rey. Come for me!"

He pulled his fingers out to let his tongue lap and clean her up. 

In between licks, he said, "You taste like heaven. You did so well, took me so good."

"Ben, you need to move, or I'm going to sit on you," she warned, feeling her strength leave her.

He chuckled and helped her lay down properly, until they were spooning one another. 

"Don't leave me," she said sleepily, tugging her big spoon's arms around her with a loud yawn. "Be with me."

"Until the morning, yes. Then I have to take you back," he said, sounding unhappy. 

"But why? We love one another," she said groggily before yawning and falling asleep.

Her last conscious thought was of how  _ right  _ everything felt. 

She never saw Ben's amazed look at her first confession of love, nor of the way he schooled his features as he tried not to get his hopes up.

"Because I'm going to turn into a monster that you don't love or want anymore," he muttered miserably before kissing her cheek. "I love you, too. More than life itself."

As he moved in closer, she talked in her sleep. "Be with me."

"Always," he replied, squeezing her tightly before falling asleep, at peace. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!


	10. Not Holding Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rey is introduced to Kylo's tentacle cock...did I mention there's also shower sex?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Happy Friday! Sorry about the delay, but I promise it is all worth it! The chapter is extra long and has all the tentacle goodness. 
> 
> As always, many thanks to [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl) for the beta and   
> [WinglessOne](WinglessOne) for the lovely and hot moodboard!

When Rey woke in the morning, she reached out for a warm body, but she came up empty.

Nothing but a cold, unwelcoming bed for company. Instantly awake, she sat up, noting she was still in Ben's bed.

"Ben? Where are you?" she called loudly. "Ben?"

As she moved her lower body, she was pleased that her body no longer felt sore. She  _ had _ been feeling pretty good the day before … Why had Ben assumed she was still sore? Without the haze of lust, it was easier to question things. Ben's behavior was odd, as was her body's immediate, flaring need for Ben when she thought of him.

It  _ had  _ tasted like Kylo's lubricant the day before … but that was impossible. 

Perhaps she would have to redefine what she called impossible. 

Her stomach growling for food forced her to get dressed and out of bed to find sustenance. In the kitchenette, she called for him again. When he didn't answer, she searched for him and discovered him gone, not a trace of him anywhere. Now that her body was fully recovered, she ran to the sunny, empty beach, calling his name. At first, she couldn't see him swimming, so she stripped, ready to find him there. 

"Ben?"

Her ears perked when she heard a splash. Looking in that direction, she saw movement, and her body tensed in excitement, unconsciously widening her stance near the water. 

Her face fell when she saw Kylo, and he seemed to realize it, for his eyes dropped. When she continued to not move toward him, he backed away slowly, the ocean waves trying to drag him deeper. 

Her conscience pricked at her, not wanting to hurt Kylo's feelings. Stepping into the water, she called, "Kylo, wait!"

He paused, waiting for her to make the first move. Tentatively, she walked deeper into the water, the initial shock of the cool ocean water feeling refreshing before long. When she was waist-deep, she reached for Kylo's head. He didn't move, just let her trace the various patterns on his skin all around his head and neck, purring softly when she reached his neck. 

Once he began purring, she closed the distance between them, kissing his neck. 

In between soft kisses along his head, she whispered, "Kylo, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." She kissed him again. "It's not that I don't like you, because I do." She paused before admitting, "Too much."

Her lips met his mouth, and her arms wrapped around his neck. As soon as she rested, his tentacles circled her limbs and slid between her legs, brushing against her seam but not entering her. Her body sang, wanting him more than anything inside her. In response, she forcefully closed her legs, holding him there to ensure he didn't fill her the way she really wanted. 

"Yes, you feel so good, Kylo. I don't want to let go of you."

He paused, as though understanding and realizing she had more to say.

She kissed him again, her tongue slipping inside his mouth and encouraging his own gentle exploration. He rubbed against her legs, not trying very hard to escape, as though they were playing, and she held him, moving with him and sighing at the feeling of his rough skin scraping against her. 

When he finally withdrew his tongue, making a noise of dissent, she kissed the side of his mouth.

"I know you hate it, and so do I. As much as I want you, desperately, we can't.” She pressed herself against him before she confessed, "I want you to insert every tentacle of yours inside my body until I'm full of you, unable to know or feel more than you."

His whole body vibrated with new energy, signaling he understood. Excited, she added, "I want to ache everywhere just like you made me last time." Pausing, she finally said the one thing that was most troubling to her. "I want to be connected to you in every possible way."

His grip on her tightened, another tentacle going to her ass, touching a cheek tentatively, asking if it was okay. 

“No. We shouldn’t do this,” she said through gritted teeth, resisting giving in to the pleasure he sent rushing through her and pulling him away from her rear. 

Her whole body ached for him as she felt him wriggle against her, each touch sending little darts of pleasure flowing through her. She resisted a little longer, pressing her legs together tighter. That was when he whined, drawing her gaze to his pleading eyes, begging her silently.

“Kylo, this is a bad idea,” she said, her grip loosening as her resolve started to waver. She leaned her forehead against him, feeling weak. Closing her eyes, she whimpered, and the tentacles around her limbs left, wrapping around her torso and hugging her close. 

She didn’t want to fall for Kylo the same way she was for Ben, but in moments like this, she saw herself diving headfirst down the slippery slope, unable to stop herself. He seemed to sense her concern, and the fact that he acknowledged and comforted her in his own mute way meant the world to her. 

When she kissed his skin, he responded immediately, his wide tongue sliding out and tasting her. More of her resolve crumbled, and she ran her hands along the ridges of two tentacles, her thumbs caressing his suckers. He made a sorrowful noise, so she kissed his skin again, her lower body burning for him. She kept kissing up until she was close to his mouth, eyes meeting. 

How was it possible for him to look so sad and needy? All she wanted was to tell him they could always be together. “Kylo, this is dangerous for me. Do you really want me?”

He pressed his mouth to hers, his tongue entering her mouth as the tentacle around her waist stroked her stomach, another carding through her hair. She kissed him back eagerly, so he kept kissing her, pressing her close as his tentacles danced along her limbs. She felt as though he were worshipping her body, his suckers kissing every last inch of her he could find until he stopped at the apex of her thighs, hovering there. 

He was waiting for her. He understood. He cared. 

He wanted her.

All her good resolutions left as she threw caution to the wind and gave herself to Kylo.

Why deny him when they both wanted each other desperately? 

“This is the last time we do this together,” she said, more as a promise to herself. 

Desire burned through her, making her light-headed with want and slick with need. She gripped the two nearest tentacles she could reach, bringing the one to her slit before he found her entrance. 

"I can't stop thinking about you, dreaming about us," she whispered. "I need this. I need  _ you _ ."

He chittered in agreement. 

Circling his tips, she felt his lubricant appear, and she pressed it against her heated flesh before placing the tip of the other at her ass, spreading him everywhere to prepare herself to be filled by him there.

Kylo growled and took over, circling both openings, and she looped her arms around his neck, allowing herself to give in to him fully.

"Kylo," she moaned, tightening her grip on him. "I need you. So much. Please, touch me."

He filled her ass with more lubricant before sliding in a couple inches, the heat and stretch exquisite. A new wave of arousal coated her, and the tentacle at her pussy slipped inside. As she grunted at feeling so full and tight with him in both places, he growled, growing louder when she clamped down harder around him.

"Yes. More. Fill me further," she panted, keening when he did. 

Her legs gave out from the sheer pleasure as his suckers suctioned to her tight walls, making her relax more with the heat, and the hard ridges on his skin made her buck her hips to take him in more, to feel his roughness everywhere. 

"You feel so good. I just want-yes!"

As he spurted more lubricant within her, he pushed in deeper, and another tentacle found her clit, circling it before swallowing it with a sucker. As she cried in ecstasy, he pulled out and re-entered her, giving her the greatest sense of fullness she had yet as he went deeper. 

"Harder. Deeper. Please," she begged, her hands pushing him in until he filled her completely, hitting her cervix. She sighed in relief until she felt a burst of lubricant fill her in both places, and then he went deeper into her ass, until she could take no more. 

"Ah! I'm so full. Oh, Kylo," she groaned, kissing him until his mouth lowered, stopping at her breasts and hardened nipples. As she watched his eyes darken, she grew more aroused at the thought of his tongue and teeth on her breasts. Pushing them into his face, she said, "Yes. Touch me. Mark me again."

He hummed quietly, at least until his tongue followed the mark left on her breast by Ben. Then, the angry sound reverberated throughout him. Her hands forced him to look at the red mark, secretly thrilled by his response. 

"Do you see that? That's from Ben. I want him." Even as she said it, the words felt hollow, as though not quite true for some reason. She ignored it, not wanting to consider the idea that she loved Ben already, especially while she was with Kylo. "I want him, just as badly as I want you."

He purred before licking the mark. 

"I wish I could have both of you, but I don't think it's fair to Ben," she continued. "This will probably be our last time together, unless Ben approves somehow." Bringing his head up, she held his gaze. "Don't hold back. Claim me."

He growled before pushing her toward the beach. She followed, walking backwards until only her feet remained in the waves. Slowly he removed himself from inside her, both making mournful, bereft sounds at the wet popping noise of him leaving her for a moment as he remained in the water. 

“Is here good?” she asked, smiling when a tentacle pointed backward more. 

When she was finally told to stop, there was no chance of waves hitting her, and she knew he did that on purpose, remembering. When a tentacle pointed down, she sat willingly, enjoying being ordered by him, and he crawled over the sand quickly until he was on top of her. Heart pounding in her ears, she searched herself and found nothing but excitement welling within her. His eyes had been so intense as he told her where to move, but now that he was on top of her, his eyes were softer, happier. 

She didn’t understand what she had done to win him over, but she was grateful. The warmth that emanated from him, combined with the light shining in his eyes, made her think that he truly wanted her. And would always choose her.

That last thought sent warmth gushing from her, and her body thrummed in anticipation, excited for the moment he could taste her and enjoy himself. She spread her legs as far as she could, lifting her hips to give him access to her ass. Kylo growled as he grew closer to her weeping slit, his eyes taking a harder edge and tongue lapping up all slick that gathered on her thighs. When he was satisfied with his position, he wrapped two tentacles around her midsection, his bottom half centered over her pussy before he placed two tentacles over her openings before massaging them both. His eyes darted up when he stopped, seeking her permission to enter her, and she nodded with breathless enthusiasm, a smile enveloping her whole face. 

It was hard not to fall for him when he did little things like that. Tingles of awareness covered her body at feeling so cared for, and a hand shot forward, circling the nearest tip. Bringing the bead of white and tip into her mouth, she groaned, new wetness covering her legs. Kylo eyed it with longing, so she brought the tip with more lubricant to her pussy, smearing him everywhere as she inserted him inside herself with a contented sigh and relaxing of shoulders.

“I can’t explain why, but this feels so  _ right _ ,” she said, reveling in the feel of him stretching her again before taking him further. “I want you here and everywhere.” She hissed as she tried to take him too fast, and when he pressed his wetted tip against her walls, she moaned, eyes fluttering closed. “Yes, Kylo. Thank you. I want more of you.”

Her hands started to move, but then he moved finally, burying himself inside her until she could take no more. She felt intimately connected to him, and she rolled her hips, running her hands up and down, relishing the play of hard ridges and soft suckers against the pads of her fingers as he started with short thrusts, testing her until he was pulling halfway out and more as she canted her hips excitedly, enjoying every second of it.

Just when she thought it couldn’t get better, another tentacle nudged her ass. Opening her eyes, she smiled and rubbed the tip, encouraging him to give her more lubricant before guiding him where she most wanted him. “Fill me, Kylo.”

He growled, and more liquid trickled out, easing his way in. 

“Mm, you feel so good there, Kylo, just a little further-yes!”

He burrowed further inside her, claiming her with every kiss of his suckers and imprint of his ridges he left against her walls. Each bite of pain turned to pleasure, the stretch something she grew to welcome. When she was comfortably full, she leaned back a little more, a feral gleam in her eyes as she raised her hips, contracting her muscles to squeeze him tighter. 

His eyes turned dark and dangerous, like he could give her everything she had ever fantasized about and more. 

“Ride me, Kylo.” 

He growled louder, moving both tentacles in tandem as he positioned his mouth above the breast without his mark. She shivered.

"Please," she pleaded, pulling him down until she felt his mouth around her breast, his teeth scraping against her hardened bud before holding it in place, flicking her engorged nipple with his tongue. “Yes, more!” 

He met her eyes, as though promising to do it again. Then, he opened his mouth wider, tongue swirling around the bud as his teeth trailed down the curve of her breast, taking in as much as he could. Rey’s body was overwhelmed with sensation, every nerve on edge as she closed her eyes and let the waves of pleasure overtake her. 

She ran a hand along his neck, and it set a chain reaction off within him. He withdrew both tentacles within her halfway before thrusting into her at the same time with both. Her eyes shut tighter as white-hot pleasure made it impossible to see or feel anything more than Kylo as he pistoned into her, each stroke harder than the last in his unrelenting pace. He bit down possessively on her breast, his tongue circling her nipple as another tentacle found her other nipple, clamping around it as he did her clit. 

As he moved faster, he ran his teeth along her nipple, nibbling gently before biting harder in time with the stimulation at her clit. 

"Kylo!"

She came with a shout, and it felt as though her whole soul left her as she shuddered violently, her walls tightening in a vice-like grip around him until he was pouring inside her. As she imagined his hot, white cum filling her, she raised her hips and pushed him in further, reveling in the warmth and fullness. 

It wasn't long before she felt his fluids dribble out of her and onto her thighs. She had little desire to clean it up or remove him from her. 

When he removed his mouth from her nipple, it was red and swollen. It was a little tender from his bite, but as soon as the tip of his tentacle dabbed his lubricant to it, all hints of pain vanished. She lay back, content until a tentacle played with her lips, seeking to enter her mouth. 

As she made eye contact with Kylo, she was brought up short. His eyes were still yellow, but they looked just like Ben's eyes in that moment, as soft and loving as they were. 

"Ben," she croaked without thinking, growing wet immediately, wanting him. 

She saw a large bead of white form on his red tip, and her body responded instinctively, straining up on her elbows to lick him clean. As soon as she tasted him, she wanted more, sucking him into her mouth. His purr turned into a growl, and then he was invading her mouth, giving her more of what she craved as she sucked his tip. 

The tentacle inside her ass pulled out slightly before forcing its way back in, and she sucked on him harder, making him spill into her mouth, ass, and pussy even more. As she writhed like a woman possessed, all her thoughts centered on Kylo. 

"Need you more," she breathed before he plunged into her mouth, making her almost choke. 

She wished she could take him further, and as she drank in his lubricant, her mouth adjusted so that there was no lingering pain. Her tongue was more interested in the taste of his suckers, and when a second tentacle pressed against her lips, she nodded, trying to open her mouth to accommodate without thinking. He pulled out almost all the way from her mouth, and then both tips entered for a tight squeeze. 

Rey was ashamed to admit that as soon as both spurted inside her mouth, she imagined what it would be like to have six tentacles inside her, and she rocked harder against him, wanting it even though it would probably break her. Instead, she focused on the two in her mouth, both pouring into her, and she drank them in like they were water. Because of the extra lubrication, both tentacles eased further into her mouth, until she was physically unable to take more. 

Kylo watched her progress with topaz eyes, and she felt like he was studying her, or at the very least, committing to memory the image of her taking him in her mouth so well. With every lick and or movement from him, she was treated to more guttural sounds, each growing longer in duration. 

The tentacle inside her pussy pulled out with a wet slither, their combined fluids sticky and connecting them even after he left her. She watched his slow withdrawal, groaning at seeing how much there was. As she watched him lick the tentacle clean, the three still inside her pulsed with new energy before thrusting into her at the same time. 

As his mouth descended on her other breast, he licked the mark he had left her before paying equal attention to her other nipple, nipping and licking. She canted her hips as he surged inside her, frantically meeting him. 

What fascinated her was the intentional way he positioned her legs apart to allow him to straddle her. As he rested heavily on top of her center, she felt him plying her clit. Each little caress and clasp made her quake, pushing her a little nearer to her edge. When she felt him spread her lower lips, a rush of wetness welcomed him. 

To be filled so thoroughly by him  _ again  _ seemed like heaven, even if she couldn't walk after. To split her in half and make her feel as full as she did was worth any amount of pain. 

She twisted her hips up, meeting his bottom. She had expected a curtain of tentacles hiding a smooth center reserved for excretion and breathing.

That wasn't what she felt  _ at all _ . Instead, she felt something more saturated with moisture than her core. Not only that, but it was thick and pulsed in time with her erratic heartbeat. 

As her hips lowered, whatever girthy thing it was followed, dripping onto her as she felt it settle at her opening, pulsating with energy. 

She wanted to know what it was. How it felt. What other delicious surprises he had in store for her. Her body trembled as she bucked against it, wanting to feel it inside her. It felt like it came to a point, almost like another tentacle, but she didn't understand why it was so much bigger. She got a flash of it as he slid his bottom onto her parted thighs, and her body burned for him all the more, even as her curious mind desired to understand. 

As she moaned in desire, the teeth surrounding her nipple bit down to mark the bud as his, and she keened, elbows no longer able to hold her up as she fell back, a slave to her mounting pleasure. 

As the tentacles inside her mouth pulled back, she whimpered, "Wait. Please, Kylo. Come back. I'm so close."

In response, he clamped down on her clit, and the extra tentacle breached her entrance, brushing against the edges and coating her in more of his fluids. Comforting heat emanated from it, relaxing her muscles, and she knew then he was applying more of his natural lubrication to her. In the past, he seemed to do it to prepare her for something, and she sensed that he was doing it again here because he knew that he could be too much.

Such thoughtfulness made her want to hug him to herself and smother him with kisses. For the millionth time, she wished he could speak, or that she knew some way to give him some measure of the pleasure he gave her. 

Slowly he nudged inside her. When she grunted at the much bigger size, the tentacles inside her mouth pulled out, cupping her face as though to encourage her to speak. 

"This is, this is even bigger than two of your tentacles inside me. We have to take this slow," she said, meeting his eyes. 

As she sat up, she reached one hand between her legs. He froze. 

"Is it okay if I touch you? I want to know you," she said quietly, stopping just short of grasping him. "The same way you know me."

He whined, a tentacle grasping her wrist and guiding it to the red skin of his extra tentacle. She resisted every desire to grip it tightly and rested gingerly on top of it, feeling their shared heartbeat. When he whimpered, she lovingly embraced it, her tiny hand wrapping around as much as she could, holding his desperate gaze. 

"May I stroke you?" she asked, fingers gliding down his length, remembering how Ben had touched himself. 

When she rubbed him back and forth, his eyes darkened, the tentacle becoming wider and harder. 

It was then that she had a thought. "Kylo, is this your sperm sac?"

His head bobbed up and down, as though nodding, and excitement flooded her, the chance to give him pleasure finally arriving. It was something she  _ needed  _ to do. She moved faster along him, repeating the motions and watching him vibrate with arousal. 

"I want to see how big it is," she murmured, mapping every raised ridge on him as she circled the whole thing, slowly snaking down toward his tip. 

She quickly discovered two things. First, that there were no suckers on him here, and that the constellations of ridges on him here were more dense. Her core throbbed in anticipation. 

Second, that he had a flared head, and it was  _ sensitive.  _ Barely skimming it made him jump, growling louder the more she explored it. More importantly, it was several inches wider in diameter than the rest of him, and she worried those extra inches could end things early if it was too much for her. When she finally reached the straining, red tip, more of his lubricant covered her hands, and she had to resist every instinct to taste him. 

Instead she rubbed it all over herself, sighing in pleasure as Kylo looked on with hungry eyes. She guided him to her opening fearlessly. Everything else of his had fit so far, and while it looked painful in its size, she wanted to feel every last inch of him inside her. He was hardly less excited as his extra tentacle kept growing longer, the pulse within him drumming faster and making her own pulse quicken. 

She pressed the tip to the parts of her lower lips that were spread wide by his tentacles, both mewling at the contact. When she positioned him at her entrance, she stopped moving, holding Kylo's eyes. "It's going to be a tight squeeze, but I want you inside me, Kylo."

He whined as her tight walls admitted a small part of him, and his grip on her tightened everywhere else, as though to prevent himself from entering her roughly the way he wanted. More lubrication oozed out, and she sighed in relief. His cry deepened as she held him and adjusted, and then she pushed him in a little more than before, until the slanted portion of his tip was inside her. 

The problem she felt as she ran her hands around him was that there were still a couple more inches on the flared head before she got to the part of him that was similar in girth to his tentacles.

He nudged a little more of his tip inside, both grunting at the tight fit. 

"Ah!" she cried, relieved when she felt more lubrication soaking into her too-stretched canal. It took the sting away enough to help her adjust a little more and focus on the other sensations. "This is, oh Kylo, you have no idea, but you feel so good, filling me like this." 

He leaned forward when she did, tongues dancing and tasting in a heated kiss. As they pulled away, Rey was breathless, surprised to see a tentacle seek entrance to her mouth.

"Feed me more, Kylo," she coaxed with hooded eyes, immediately sucking the tip into her mouth when the thick, white liquid oozed out. "Yes. More," she demanded greedily with her mouth full, sucking him in deeper. 

Within moments of doing that, he edged in further between her legs, her jaw falling slack at how much she felt him everywhere. It overwhelmed her in the best of ways, and she wanted to sit there all day with him, as much to feel more connected to him as to see how long it took before she could take him deeper. 

"Oh, you were holding back on me, saving the best for last," she quipped, still feeling the uncomfortable stretch after a time. "I'm not going to be able to walk after this."

He rumbled deep in his chest, his length pulsing even more. He jerked back half an inch before surging forward, a long rope of liquid spraying her inner walls as he pushed his way in. 

"Kylo! Too much," she cried, the burn too intense. She slowly pulled him out, and he cried in complaint briefly. "I think we need to practice more with this. I'm not as ready as I thought," she said shakily. As she circled the tip, she was amazed at how big he still was, despite giving her so much. "I want to practice often, until I can," she whispered with lust-filled eyes. 

He made a noise of approval, at least until she pulled him up and toward her. At that, he seemed uncertain.

"I still want to see it; I'm a scientist, you know," she said with a smile. After pausing a moment, he lengthened and allowed her to pull him out. She scooted closer as well, until he was over a foot long, tip resting on her stomach. Their breathing synced and raced as she traced curious fingers all along him, eyes never leaving the other. 

She grinned mischievously. "I need to study you thoroughly. I wonder: can I pleasure this part of you? I want to."

She gripped him tightly with both hands, and his cock spasmed, more liquid leaking from his tip even as the rest of his length increased in girth. She ducked down and brought him higher, and she was more turned on than ever as she watched him lengthen and expand, his tip accidentally brushing against a hardened nipple in the process. Pleasure rocked through her, and her throat constricted as her hands grasped him just under the large, flared head, circling both nipples as lubricant gushed out, he just as eager to touch her. 

“I wonder,” she mused, pressing the hole at his tip directly against her pebbled bud. When liquid didn’t immediately form as he watched her curiously, she circled the hole with her nipple until it was swallowed by him. 

It was as though he had injected desire directly into her veins, every point on her body soaring as he held her there, clenching around her nipple, the most delicious sucking sensation she had ever felt. He pumped his lubricant onto her, each pump creating tantalizing pressure as he sucked on her nipple over and over.

Rey was certain she could come just on that sensation alone if he kept it up.

When she finally pulled him off of her with a wet pop, she placed him on her other nipple, seeking the same pleasure. Kylo growled and accepted her eagerly, covering her whole breast in his thick, white liquid as he sucked back and forth on her tit. When she reluctantly removed him, she eyed his tip longingly and leaned in. He made a plaintive, pleading noise when he smelled her growing arousal as she imagined taking him in her mouth. When her head stopped inches from his tip, he squirmed impatiently. 

"I wonder: do you taste the same here?" She opened her mouth and licked the tip, and he shook, his whole body turning red. "Ah you do." She licked him again as his aftertaste lingered. "Perhaps sweeter, even better." A sound rumbled in his chest, a cross between a coo and a needy whine, and he jutted forward, until her lips were pressed open against his weeping tip firmly.

She loved seeing him seek his own pleasure, and she finally understood how she looked to him most of the time. He wanted her tongue swiping and taking every last drop he gave her, and she wanted it just as bad. Encouraged, she opened her mouth as much as she could, and he inched inside, more liquid gushing into her mouth to help with the stretch. With a little taste, she opened her mouth a little wider than she thought she could, her teeth lightly catching on the hard ridges occasionally. Every time she did, a little more dripped out in understanding, the flared head jerking as her tongue and lips surrounded him. Finally, her lips closed around the widest part of his flared head. 

For a moment, both were at peace. Even his other tentacles stopped moving to bask in the sensations. When she began sucking him off, wanting to take the rest of his head inside, he pushed inside further with a grunt, a new rush of something within him coming as he expanded. 

The first inch felt amazing, but the second one began to burn from the stretch and from keeping her mouth open so long. Still, she persisted, and he gave her lubrication until the whole flared head was inside. Relief rushed through her, and she sucked on his tip, lips resting on the edge of his flared head. He shuddered as more liquid trickled out, his other tentacles moving in tune with the much larger one. She ran her hands along his length, following every ridge she could reach, and she took him in further, wanting to know how far she could push herself. 

However, before she could guide him in more than a couple inches, he pulled out almost all the way, his eyes a dark amber. And yet, there was a soft, pleading quality to them. He whined as he nudged in a little, meeting her teeth and spilling more of his lubricant inside her mouth. She opened her mouth, her teeth grazing his head, and his whines grew louder, more pleading, as he pumped more inside her. He pulled out completely after that, a silent question burning in his eyes, and she wished he could speak. 

However, at that point, she had a feeling what he wanted to do. He wanted relief after the way she teased him, and she wanted to be the one to give it to him. Her body began to shake, and she realized it was because Kylo was shaking everywhere, his entire body on edge. 

He was holding back because he was afraid. It was time to end that agony.

Her hands left his length to rest on either side of his head "Kylo, you don’t have to be afraid. I won’t reject you." One hand went back to stroking him. “Let me help you. I want this just as much as you. Let me give you some taste of the pleasure you’ve given me. Please.” 

She broke their shared gaze to study the new anatomy, and her mouth went dry as she imagined him spilling such a large amount of his cum inside. Shivering, she brought him closer, just short of touching him. He made a noise of complaint, and then she felt a tentacle nudge her pussy, seeking permission to enter her. 

As slick as she was from sucking him off, she had no doubt he would slip right in without pain, despite their earlier failure. Nodding, she rasped, “Yes, Kylo. I always want you inside me.”

He growled and breached her entrance, her tight walls taking him in with little trouble. As he settled in where he wanted to be, his eyes traveled back to hers, and she felt him tremble, more liquid leaking from him in both places.

She licked his tip, sucking on it long enough to make him spasm inside of her. Her hands grasped him tightly, and he wobbled with need, sounding like a hungry dog. When he seemed dangerously close, pistoning in and out of her pussy with abandon, she took a shaky breath as she neared her own peak, licking more of him. 

"You’re still holding on; let go. Give it all to me, Kylo. I want to drink every last drop of you."

She opened wide, and he worked his way in. Once she completely swallowed his head, he shoved inside, no longer caring as he stopped near the back of her throat. She crowed with joy as he filled her, there first and then inside her pussy with one long thrust. As soon as her tongue and lips enclosed around him, she hummed, sucking him hard, and he roared into the morning air, everything gushing out of him. The taste was better than anything she had ever known before, and she greedily milked him, until he was completely spent, almost the size of a normal tentacle. He couldn’t and didn’t want to stop, pumping her full until it dribbled out of her mouth. 

His orgasm sent her flying into her own, and both panted with exertion as they recovered. He retracted his cock back into himself, and she leaned back, swallowing everything with several satisfying gulps. 

When she finished, she sighed and pulled him against her chest, laying down with him on top of her. 

"I hope that was as good for you as it was for me," she whispered. "I just want to lay here all day with you."

He purred and snuggled against her, and it wasn't long until both of their heartbeats slowed. The problem for Rey was that the longer she lay in the sand, still wet from the ocean, the more likely annoying it would be to shower later. Getting an idea, she tried to lift him, making him cling to her arms and waist desperately. 

When his eyes looked panicked, she shushed him with a kiss. "I don't want to hurt you, but I also don't want to sleep in the sand again. I want to go to my cottage; will you sleep with me there?"

In response, a tentacle probed the apex of her thighs, trying to find a way in without success. She shook her head and sat up. 

"No, not like that. Sleep beside me. Snuggle with me." She grew more quiet as she stared at the mark Ben left on her breast. "All I want is for someone to wake up beside me. To choose me."

A tentacle lifted her chin, forcing her to see the tenderness in his eyes. Somehow, he had to understand her. There was no reason for him to respond like that otherwise. 

It didn't help that his gaze reminded her so strongly of Ben, and she  _ ached  _ for him. Yes, Kylo gave her something special, and their connection and chemistry was off the charts. But Ben? She knew what he liked and didn't like. She knew his idiosyncrasies and loved chatting with him. She knew he cared for and loved her, and yet he acted so strangely sometimes. 

Kylo was always consistent and wanted her. 

"You know what? I'm taking you home with me. Hang on tight, Kylo. This is going to be a bumpy ride."

Ignoring the conflict between Ben and Kylo that still raged within her, she attempted to stand up, almost dropping him in the process. Her legs wobbled from the odd distribution of weight from Kylo, and certain muscles screamed when she tried to take her first step. 

However, by some miracle, she was able to carry him and her discarded clothes the short distance to her cottage, kicking the door open and plopping Kylo on the bed before toweling off the excess sand and closing the door. 

He waited for her near her pillow, and as soon as she pulled the covers over her bottom half, Kylo shoved them off, climbing on top of her and covering every limb of hers with his own, growling possessively. 

Rey thought it was sweet.

"Fine by me," she mumbled, nuzzling against him. 

Between the warmth of him, her exhaustion, and his soft purrs, she was asleep within moments. When she woke up what seemed like a short time later, her skin was ice cold. Everything felt empty once more, and she hated it, hoping she hadn’t been abandoned once more. When she reached for Kylo and couldn't find him, she jumped up, searching the place for him. 

She didn’t know how long he could go without water, and she didn’t want to kill him by mistake.

"Kylo? Kylo?"

"Rey? Are you alright?"

Her door banged open. She was standing a short distance from it, still naked, but what she didn't expect was for Ben to appear, and just as naked. 

Her body may have been hurting from Kylo earlier, but all recollection of it now vanished as she took him in, all lean muscle, broad chest, and damp hair that clung to his face. 

She giggled when she saw a deep blush cover his face, even his large ears turning red. 

"Rey, why are you naked? What are you doing in here?" he asked, stepping past her doorway. "Why are you calling out for Kylo? Did you take him out of the water?"

Incensed, she stormed forward. "Why did  _ you  _ invade my privacy and enter my home? I can walk around naked in my home if I want to!"

He opened his mouth to protest, and he shut it just as quickly before hanging his head. "Point taken. I'm sorry, Rey."

Poking his chest, she asked accusingly, “And for that matter, why are  _ you  _ naked?”

“Because you hadn’t come in yet. When I didn’t find you on the beach, I checked in the water and only found Kylo.”

She sighed in relief that Kylo had managed to find his way back to his home.

“Why not check here first?” she asked, pointing downward. “Not that I’m complaining about the view, but-”

“Because you were on the beach last time, and I wasn’t thinking clearly just now. I panicked.”

She felt bad at once, more guilt upbraiding her. He had only entered because she had disappeared, and because he loved her, he dove into the ocean to save her. Stepping up to him, she cupped his face before stroking his jaw, waiting for him to meet her eyes. 

"I understand why. I should be the one apologizing. I'm sorry for making you worry so much, especially after promising you I wouldn't." Her throat tightened, and she suddenly felt horrible, all the guilt rising like bile within her. All she wanted was to make it stop. "I did bring Kylo in here. I was-"

"Why study him here?" he interrupted curiously. "Why not the ocean? How did he survive?"

She cocked her head. "He survives easily in the air. He's done it almost every day I've seen him. Didn't you know?"

He grinned. "So you  _ have  _ studied him closely. Good." His eyes drifted down, and when he saw Kylo's mark on her other breast, his head jerked up. 

Rey couldn't also help but notice that Ben's flaccid cock from earlier was now at half-mast. Tucking that knowledge away, she mentally prepared herself for the inevitable questions. 

"I take it you got that from studying him today as well?" he asked, pointing to the new mark. 

"Yes." She stepped in closer, yearning to fully disclose everything. "Kylo and I have been-"

"Getting much closer. I see that. I'm pleased you're letting him."

She stopped short. Was he really that obtuse? Did he trust her that much? "No, you don't understand," she protested in frustration. "I've let Kylo touch me  _ everywhere _ ."

He moved in closer, running a finger up her neck while the other hand caressed the new mark. "It's the only way to gain his trust. You're doing all the right things. I only wish you didn't get hurt so much."

"It's not painful. Yes, he can be rough, but he's thoughtful," she explained, hissing when he circled a nipple. "Ben, it's hard to concentrate, and I need to tell you something-"

"It's not important. Not as much as you are," he said, leaning in and kissing her. “I’ve missed you. I’m sorry I left before you woke up. I wanted you to sleep in after our … adventures last night.”

He was  _ definitely  _ being obtuse, and she was growing more frustrated by it. All she wanted was to tell him. “But I don’t think you understand the nature of the relationship between Kylo and me. What we have is … different.”

He grinned. “I can see that. I, too, share a special bond to him.”

“And yet you didn’t know that he could breathe outside the water,” she said, scoffing.

His eyes became black, voice lowering in intensity. Rey’s body went on alert, new wetness pooling between her legs as he turned into a predator before her, staring at her with dark intentions. 

“There are many things about him you don’t know that I do.” His hands skimmed along her breasts, pinching them and making her whimper. One hand roamed lower, cupping her ass before looking behind her. “It appears I don’t know you and your body that well, based on what’s on your nightstand, but I am sincerely grateful for them after last night.”

She followed his gaze and blushed when she saw the butt plugs she left out. “You have no idea how much I imagine you when I use them.”

He grinned. “Good. Do you have toys?” When she blushed, he grinned like the Cheshire Cat. “You do. How many? One?” A lone finger reached between her legs, fingering her slowly. When she continued to blush in silence, he added a second. “Two?”

Each deliberate drag of his fingers in and out of her was torture, far too slow for what she needed from him, even if she shouldn’t encourage it. She was overly sensitive from Kylo and his monster cock inside her, even if she was just as aroused as earlier by Ben. It was only the slightest twinge of pain since he hadn’t done much, so she ignored it.

“Two,” she grit out. “One is a vibrator. I’ve had to change the batteries multiple times since coming here.”

She was afraid she was feeding his ego too much with the way he smiled. 

“I think of you every night as well, just as I was in the bathroom last night. I’ve wanted you for so long.” He leaned in, hot breath ghosting against her ear. “What’s the other one?”

Her brain short-circuited. There was no way she could tell Ben about it, and yet, when she remembered just how big it was, it made her wonder. “I, um, I haven’t actually used it. Its size scares me a little. I haven’t wanted to use it until just recently.”

“Because you like being stuffed full, don’t you?” he asked, nibbling on her earlobe. 

New slick covered his already sticky fingers, and he grinned at her. She wanted to protest, but she knew the truth: she wanted Ben  _ and  _ Kylo inside her, stuffing her full.

She didn’t want to choose.

“Yes,” she squeaked, cringing when he tried to add a third finger inside her. “Wait! Ben, stop,” she protested, relieved when he did. “I’m tender. I can’t handle too much right now.”

An understanding look filled his eyes, and he pulled his hand away temporarily. “From Kylo?”

“Yes,” she admitted, shoulders sagging. Finally, she could tell the truth. “Kylo has touched me there, too.”

Touch was technically true, but ravage was a better way to describe what he had done to her earlier that day. 

Ben paused, considering her carefully. He led her toward her bed before sitting beside her. Taking her hand, he said, “I’m surprised you admitted that to me. Thank you.”

“You deserve to know. It’s been eating at my conscience. I feel terrible for encouraging and letting him do it,” she explained, squeezing his hand, hoping he understood. “I feel like I’m cheating on you.”

“You’re not,” he said, his free hand caressing her thigh. “I trust you, and I know him. He and I share a special bond, so don’t feel bad about anything you do with him.” 

Tears came to her eyes, and she couldn’t believe it. “Are you sure? I can stop seeing him-”

“Don’t,” he interrupted quickly, surprising her. “Please. He needs you. If he wants to explore you,” he said, hand wandering higher up her thigh and lightly tracing her seam, “let him. Let him enter you even.”

The thought of Kylo’s giant cock entering her again made her spread her legs further in growing arousal. Ben eyed her with a knowing look, and Rey blushed. 

“You still want me to touch you, even though you’re sore?” he asked, finding her clit and circling it. “Because if you do, I’d love to spread you wide open for me and taste you.”

Rey was embarrassed by how much she wanted him, even more slick coating his fingers. “Yes. I want you. I desperately want your cock inside me, but I think that’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

“Just say when,” he said, kissing her before kneeling in front of her with a wicked grin. “I want to please you and know  _ everything  _ you like.”

Once he was kneeling, he spread her legs apart further, admiring her glistening pussy with a worshipful gaze until she squirmed in discomfort, now uncomfortably aching for him. 

“Ben?” 

“I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than you, wet and needy for me. I can’t believe it’s all for me.”

“It is. I want you, Ben-ah!” she cried as Ben slurped and licked her like a man dying of thirst. The light bolts of soreness dissipated into pinpricks of heat as soon as he touched her, and she silently thanked Kylo for the large amount of lubrication he had given her so that she could enjoy her time with Ben a little. Her legs swung around Ben’s shoulders, and she buried her hands in his luscious curls, running her nails along his scalp as she dragged his mouth right up against her. “Please. I’m close.”

He jerked his head back long enough to make eye contact. “I will. I promise.”

As he continued to eat her out with long, greedy strokes, he circled her clit, sending her higher. She felt her orgasm build, and just as she seemed ready to reach it, she cried, “Ben, please, I need, gah!” 

She cried in horror when he stopped, seemingly knowing that she would’ve come if he continued.

“Why did you stop?” she demanded angrily, trying to push him forward.

“Because you still haven’t told me what that last toy is, and I want to know. I  _ need  _ to know,” he said, holding her gaze and refusing to budge. “What makes it special?”

Her face became beet red, having forgotten about that toy. However, the time to evade was gone; she was too close and needy to resist telling him what he wanted to know. “It, well, it’s huge. I’m not sure it’ll even fit inside me, but-”

“It will,” he insisted with a sly look. “I’ll devote myself tirelessly to you and make it so.” He nuzzled her lower lips before kissing them. “Especially as delicious as you taste. Now, tell me more.”

She groaned. “It’s red and blue-”

“So it’s a large dildo. What’s so bad about that?” He moved in closer, blowing air over her core as his eyebrows raised. “Unless there’s more.”

New slick appeared, and she wriggled in his grasp, trying to close her legs to hide her response. “There is.”

He pressed light kisses to her inner thighs, everywhere but where she wanted him. “Tell me, and I’ll stop your torture. I’ll give you everything you want.”

She sighed, still deeply afraid. “It’s shaped like something I’ve fantasized about having inside me.”

His head darted up, a knowing look in his eyes. “Tell me what you fantasize about.”

“You filling me everywhere with the tentacles of Kylo,” she admitted,watching his mouth open in shock

In her dazed state, she looked down and away from his eyes, ashamed. As she did, she saw his cock, fully erect, and she wished she could reach it.

“Rey.” As her eyes met his in surprise at the reverent tone of his voice, she saw a huge smile overtake his face, and she was relieved. “Are you telling me that you have a tentacle-shaped dildo in your possession?”

“Yes. I want you to use it on me,” she admitted, keening when he buried his face inside her. As soon as he sucked her clit into his mouth, she came with a loud cry of his name, and he licked her clean, helping her down from her high.

“I will. As soon as you’re ready,” he said, excitement sparkling in his eyes. “Where is it?”

She directed him to it, and he searched for it. She watched him carefully for his response, not believing that he would actually want to use it on her, but he soon proved her wrong. She knew the exact moment that he found it because his cock stood fully at attention, redder than ever and pre-cum leaking out. 

All she wanted was to kneel down and taste him again, and she wondered if he would let her before they went back to work.

“This is perfect,” he said, bringing the dildo out. “I’m going to stuff you full until you’re sore from me.”

“Tomorrow preferably,” she said, getting up and walking behind him. Splaying her hands across his stomach, she kissed his neck. “You look mighty hard down there; would you like a hand with it?” Both hands dropped and cupped him, running along his length. When he shivered, she added, “Or two?”

“Yes,” he rasped, closing the drawer as he gripped the dildo. “I need you, and I can’t stop thinking about what I’m going to do with this tomorrow.”

“Tell me,” she said, pumping him the way he showed her. She didn’t get very far before she felt more wetness, so she changed her stance, rubbing herself against his leg, smearing her slick all in one, long messy line.

His breath caught, and she felt him grow in girth a little more. “Rey, I’m not going to last-”

“Then hold still,” she said, riding around his leg so she could be in front of him. He groaned as she slipped along by degrees, enjoying teasing him as he had her. 

As soon as she was in front of him, he bent over, kissing her hungrily before guiding her mouth to his cock, both eager for her to get there. As she lowered, she knelt down, still grinding against his leg. As soon as she licked the pre-cum off of his tip, she moaned and sucked more of him in, her juices gathering and dribbling down his leg.

“You taste so good, Ben. Tell me what you want to do to me with that dildo and give me more,” she demanded, taking him in deeper.

“I want to, kriff, Rey!” he howled as she bobbed her head and swirled her tongue around him, gripping his base with her hands. She tasted more of him and worked harder, making him drive further inside her mouth. “You feel so good. I want to fill that pussy and then your ass with this tentacle-Rey!”

As soon as he hit the back of her throat, she sucked him harder and looked up, meeting his eyes. Within moments, he screamed her name, emptying himself inside of her mouth until he was flaccid.

“Rey, you’re perfect. You’re so wet for me; let me touch you again,” he said as she licked him clean.

She slid down the length of his leg; all her wetness from getting him off made it easy if delicious torture. 

“Ben, one day you’ll realize that I’m always wet for you,” she said, rubbing herself on his foot until his big toe found her clit. She whimpered and froze, the pressure almost enough to get her off. 

His toe rose and pressed gently against her clit as his hands found her nipples, tweaking them. “Come for me, Rey.”

Afraid that she wouldn’t have enough pressure, she brought a hand to her opening, placing one finger inside her and another near her clit. As she stroked her clit, his toes stroked the edge of her, the heat from him and the pressure applied to her clit sending her over the edge. With a loud grunt, she came on his foot, collapsing against his leg. 

As much as she wanted to blame Kylo and his lubricant for her acting so needy, she couldn’t help but reflect that at the end of the day, she knew she wanted Ben.

“Shall we lay down a moment?” he asked, scooping her into his arms. 

“Just a moment. I think I’ll recover soon. We should work,” she said, snuggling against him. “I’m just about ready to post our first weekly blog entry.”

“We can’t stop that,” he said, sitting on the bed, holding her close. “Thank you, Rey. I think I don’t want to shower ever again,” he whispered, making her head jerk up.

“What if I want to shower with you tonight?”   
  


A spark of mischief entered his eyes. “Then we will.”

After they sat in peace for a while, cuddling with hands wandering, Rey left the comfort of his arms and dressed. Ben carried her plugs and dildos and deposited them in his bedroom before dressing while Rey took care of the animals and made lunch. It was a quiet day after that as they worked side-by-side, most of the talking discussion about what he liked and wanted to see on the blog, and what Rey thought of his various findings. 

After dinner, Rey suggested, “We should watch a movie together.”

“I have one I’ve been meaning to watch,  _ The Shape of Water.  _ Will you watch it with me?” he asked. 

Her eyes widened as she remembered her viewing of it with Rose. “Yes. I’d love to see it again.” 

Rey cuddled in his lap to watch the movie, and Ben massaged her shoulders before moving on to her back. The longer the movie went on, the more she felt his hard length press against her, and she enjoyed wiggling against it. She made comments about what she liked about the movie in between kisses. As they watched the heroine start to communicate and bond with the sea monster, she asked, “Do you think anything like that could happen in real life? Between a researcher and their subject, for example?”

“If the subject is intelligent, then yes. They could develop a bond and fall in love,” he said, turning her whole body around to face him. “What about you? Do you think a beautiful scientist could fall in love with a beast?”

Her brain immediately thought of Kylo. “Of course! He’s not a beast! He’s kind and thoughtful, and-”

He silenced her with a passionate kiss. Within moments, she was straddling his lap, and he unbuttoned and removed her shirt, revealing her swollen, pebbled peaks. 

“These have been teasing me all day, you minx,” he muttered, taking one in his mouth.

“Wearing bras is … ah, difficult right now between your and Kylo’s assiduous attention to them,” she groaned, pulling his head in closer. When she felt wetness develop between her legs anew, she said, “If you don’t want to ruin your pants, I suggest you take them off now. I’m going to soak them if you keep that up.”

“I intend to,” he promised, both shoving down their pants so that she could rub against his leg freely.

Rey loved watching his cock spring free, not fully erect. They quickly got distracted from the movie, Ben paying minimal attention as he sucked and played with her breasts, along with the occasional finger that entered her, seeking a small taste of her. Rey ran her hands up and down his length slowly, caressing him and memorizing the feel of his soft, heated skin. They paused their exploration to watch the heroine perform a daring rescue of the sea monster she had grown to love, and as soon as they were safe, Ben pushed Rey back to her knees and spread her legs, admiring all the slick that waited for him. 

“I can’t believe you’re all mine,” he said, kissing her briefly. 

“You should,” she replied, running her hands up and down his chest. “I’m feeling much less sore now.”

“Good.” He sank two fingers inside her greedily, covering them in her juices before sucking them clean. “Very good.”

“Touch me more, Ben,” she pleaded, more wetness gathering as she scooted an inch closer, eyes never leaving his cock.

“As you wish.” 

He swirled two fingers inside her a few more times before he began pumping inside her slowly, teasing her mercilessly as the movie played on, showing the growing relationship between the heroine and sea monster. With each time he removed himself, she moved a hair closer to his cock, wanting to feel him inside her pussy finally.

When the heroine removed her clothing to have sex with the sea monster, Ben plunged three fingers inside, moving faster before rubbing her clit. As her lips latched onto his, he swallowed her scream as she came on his fingers. 

“Well, you’ve made quite a mess on both of us. I think now is a good time to shower,” he said, picking her up as she pouted. 

“But we didn’t finish the movie, and I didn’t ride your cock,” she complained, snuggling against him shamelessly.

“We still have the shower for the latter,” he said, stopping the movie. “How does it end?”

“He changes her into a creature like him, and they live happily ever after in the water after taking care of the bad guy.” She grinned, glad she didn’t have to tell him about all the bloodshed leading up to the end. “Very satisfying.”

“So she took the plunge and chose the monster,” he mused, carrying her to his bathroom. “Do you think you could ever learn to care for Kylo like that?”

She broke out in a cold sweat, not sure how to answer. When it became clear he wanted an answer, she answered, “Yes. I like him a lot.” It felt false to her ears. “I care very deeply about him already.” It was better, but still didn’t express how much she worried about him, or how much she lusted after him. “Part of the reason I fantasize about Kylo’s tentacles inside me is because of how he’s touched me.” She hid her face before she admitted, “He makes me feel good and cared for, too.”

Why did his cock stiffen even more at that?

He kissed the top of her head. “Good. Don’t be ashamed of those feelings. Feel free to explore them more with him.” 

Her head darted up as she grew more aroused, unsure if it was due to Ben’s trust in her or the idea of Kylo pounding relentlessly into her without guilt.

“Ben,” she gasped, cradling his face.

“Either way, you’re still mine,” he said, kissing her.

The kiss turned heated quickly, and he gently lowered her, turning on the shower as soon as her feet hit the tiled floor of the walk-in shower. They continued kissing in the shower, Rey’s hands gripping fistfuls of hair, and when they broke apart for air, he requested, “Wash my hair?”

She let go of him briefly to pour some shampoo on his hair, and then they were kissing again, his hands massaging body wash onto her breasts and stomach. As soon as he pinched her nipples, her body jerked, and she edged closer to his cock, washing one hand off to line him up.

“Ah, ah, not yet,” he murmured, pulling her hand off. “You’ll get to come when we’re done washing. Turn around.”

Pouting, she turned, letting him cover her in his body wash and shampoo. 

“I didn’t get to clean your body,” she said as they rinsed off.

“Next time. I’m too impatient,” he said, pulling her back against his front. “I need to be inside you.”

“Fill me, Ben,” she pleaded, turning her head and kissing him. “I want you, too.”

As the last of the suds washed off of them, he pressed her against the wall, pressing a finger inside her ass. “You’re so tight. Want to bury myself inside you here.”

She spread her legs and impaled herself on his cock, sheathing him fully inside her pussy. Both grunted at the intrusion, and Ben bit her neck before circling a breast. “You’ll be fully lubricated for my ass now,” she breathed haggardly. “You feel so good here, though.”

“Thank you,” he said gratefully before pulling out and pressing his tip against her ass. “Another time.” He smeared her tight opening with some of the wetness before plunging inside her pussy again, pumping inside her three more times and pushing inside her ass a little further with each new bit of lubrication. “I don’t think you realize how obsessed I am with your ass.”

“No,” she groaned as he finally filled her all the way. “But I love it.”

“Such a good girl for me, taking me so well,” he said, tweaking her hardened buds and shallowly thrusting inside her. “I’m not going to last much longer.”

“Touch me,” she pleaded, guiding a hand to her center. “I’m close. Harder.”

She rested her forehead against the tiled wall and braced herself with her hands as he gave it to her how she liked it, moving faster with each thrust and inserting two fingers inside her, another at her clit. Eventually her hips were rammed against the wall as he continued, begging him for more, both bodies rebounding from the force of his movements. After several more hard thrusts, he pulled almost all the way out before sliding home, and she came with a loud cry. Ben came soon after, shouting her name.

“Mine,” he growled, grabbing her chin and kissing her.

“Always,” she promised, feeling him pull out. She stopped him, holding his limp cock between her legs. “Just like you’re mine.”

“I’ve been yours. I liked you as soon as you knelt down next to that pool,” he confessed, head resting in the crook of her shoulder. “I’ve wanted you for almost as long, and always will.”

She didn’t know what she had done to deserve him, but she was ready to spend the rest of her life with him and show him just how much she wanted him. She knew she had been falling, but after that day, seeing what they could have every day going forward, she wanted it desperately. She wanted to have quiet work days and fun evenings with him. She wanted to be side-by-side with him every day. She wanted him.

She loved him. 

That truth rushed through her, and she could no longer deny it. She wanted to tell him, and yet, it didn’t feel right to tell him then. She resolved to tell him soon.

“I’ve been attracted to you ever since I saw you,” she admitted.

They stood there until the water went cold, panting heavily before their bodies calmed down. After toweling each other off, they fell into bed, spooning with each other and out within minutes.

Rey’s last thought before falling asleep was she wanted more days just like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading and all the love on this story!! :D


	11. Experimenting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rey experiments more with Kylo's cock, as well as with Ben's fist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl) for all the great beta work and to   
> [WinglessOne](WinglessOne) for the wonderful moodboard!
> 
> So sorry about the day's delay! I was writing a bunch of new fics for exchanges.

When Rey awoke the following morning, it was because Ben nudged her awake.

“Good morning.”

She blinked slowly, watching his loving eyes and trying to understand what she was experiencing. Then it hit her: Ben had stayed. 

Someone had waited for her.

She felt like crying. She wanted to hug him and never let go. When she realized she was still wrapped tightly around Ben, she grinned, nestling herself deeper against him. 

“Thank you for staying,” she whispered, kissing his neck.

He rumbled in his chest, so she kissed his neck until an index finger tipped her chin up to face him, all tenderness in his look replaced with hunger, his body almost vibrating with it. 

“How did you know I’m most sensitive at my neck?” he asked, kissing her good morning.

“Trial and error,” she answered when they broke apart. When he tried to leave the bed, she pulled his wrist closer, noticing how his whole body seemed to be trembling. “Wait. Stay. Please.”

“I need to get moving, as should you. I have things to do, and don’t you have a swim to take?” he asked, nudging her nose with his shaky one. 

“I do, but I want you to swim with me for once,” she said, earning an amused grin from him. “Just as you are.”

“One day - or night - we’ll go skinny dipping together,” he promised, kissing her one last time before getting out of bed. “Soon. Today and tomorrow, enjoy yourself with Kylo.”

She crawled out of bed after him. “Ben?”

He stopped at the doorway, worried when he heard the note of concern in her voice. Turning he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Are you sure you want me to spend time with Kylo after what he’s done to my body so far?” she asked, gesturing at the slowly fading hickeys on her breasts. “I can almost bet he’ll touch me again.”

“Touch you like this?” asked Ben, leaning in and stroking her between her folds with two thick fingers. 

Rey’s eyes closed in pleasure, humming. “Mm yes, like that.”

“You want more of that?” he asked, sliding in a little deeper as he felt new wetness coat his fingers. 

“Yes. I never want you to stop,” she said, shoulders falling as she leaned against the doorjamb, more relaxed than ever. When he added another finger, her hand shot out, stopping his light, reluctant movements and pushing him deeper, where she wanted him. “Definitely more of that.”

“And you’re fully recovered. Good,” he said, pulling out his fingers and kissing her with a smug grin.

“Ben!” Her cheeks were fiery, and she marched after him as she hissed, “You don’t just  _ do that  _ and then not finish!”

“I do if I want to tease you for later tonight. I have big plans for you now that you’re not sore … very big things,” he teased before closing the door behind him in the bathroom. “Now go swimming.”

“You’re really okay with spending more time with Kylo?” she asked one more time, holding her breath. “Doing that and more?”

He answered immediately. “Yes, as long as you like it and want it.” As she exhaled in relief, he added, “Just don’t dally. I want to see the blog go live today.”

“It will!” she vowed. “And once it does, we’re going to have people begging for more. At some point, I’m going to convince you to buy an underwater camera to get even better photos of our beloved animals.”

“Cameras can do that?” he asked, sounding truly mystified.

She shook her head. “Yes. I’ll show you some models when I come back. Bye, Ben!”

“Enjoy yourself with Kylo,” he called as she left, still naked. 

She’d let him think what he wanted about her nudity, if she would change into a swimsuit later or not. She didn’t intend to do so. As soon as she opened the door to the outdoors, it felt as though she had entered an oven, the sun already high in the sky. She could see the waves of heat emanate from the ground, and surprisingly, no one was outside, enjoying the hot weather in the gentle waves. 

She had no desire to walk across the hot sand, but she did it anyway, tiptoeing quickly across it in search of relief. As soon as she hit the cool, wet sand, she dug her feet into it, sighing in satisfaction as her feet sank in and were covered halfway. Soon, the small waves splashed her, and she yanked her feet out of the soft grip of the sand to experience more of the soothing, warm water that called her name. 

She stopped when the water was halfway to her knees, searching for some sign of Ben or Kylo. The hint of arousal that Ben had inspired was begging for relief, and the moist air made her whole body feel slick and heated. She didn’t see either of them at first, so she dipped underwater fully to cool off, knees bent and leaning back slightly, planting her hands and butt in the sand for support. She lay back on her elbows and let the rivulets of salt water wind their way down her breasts and stomach. Leaning her head back with closed eyes, she decided to live dangerously and invite Kylo in, spreading her legs for him, the gentle lapping of the waves a tease against her heated core.

She didn’t understand why Ben didn’t want to go swimming with her. It made no sense, just like him encouraging her to be with Kylo. What was she missing, besides Kylo?

Kylo was taking longer than normal to come out, and it made her wonder what had happened to him. He had become her welcoming committee into the ocean, and she missed his excitement to see her. It reminded her of Ben at times when he would see her walk into a room, sometimes carrying food. 

It was a little odd to her that she kept seeing so many similarities between Ben and Kylo, but she assumed it was because she wanted them to be there. If there was even the slightest shred of truth to her crazed fever dreams, of Ben and Kylo being the same person, everything would make more sense. Why Ben was never around when Kylo was, or why he never swam with her. Why their eyes and certain movements seemed so similar, or why they had marks on their skin in close to identical places. Why Ben didn’t care that Kylo marked her or wanted her to spend so much time with Kylo.

But, the truth of the matter was that they weren’t, as much as she hated it. Kylo was some new species of octopus no one had ever seen before, and she wanted him to wrap every tentacle around her and pound into her until she was incoherent and unable to walk. There was a part of her that still felt guilty about wanting Kylo as badly as she did.

“Where are you, Kylo?” she mused, digging her hands further into the sand. “I miss you.”

She scolded herself. She had Ben’s approval, and she wanted Kylo. That was that.

Her eyes fluttered open to the bright dazzle of sunlight reflecting on the waves. As she started to bring her head up, she felt something soft, wide, and familiar brush against her pussy. Immediately new wetness formed, wanting him inside her. When she felt a sucker gingerly press down against her there, as though wanting to spread her apart for his viewing, she groaned and spread her legs wider, welcoming him as the tension within her grew. One hand lifted up and spread herself apart for him while the other grasped his tentacle as she got up to look at him.

His eyes were barely under the surface of the waves, just the top of his bulbous head showing. His eyes were trained on her engorged, pink lower lips, and she squeezed him tighter, urging him to bring his eyes above the water. 

When he did, she smiled brilliantly. “Come closer,” she beckoned, voice sultry, bringing the tip of his tentacle to where his eyes were trained and rubbing his lubricant all over her opening. “I want to feel you  _ everywhere _ .”

He growled, breaching her entrance eagerly. 

“Yes, further,” she begged, pushing him deeper inside her until she pulled him out enough to insert him harder, eliciting another grunt from her. “You feel so good, Kylo. I want more.”

She tried to pull him out of her again, but two tentacles shot forward, holding down her wrists. His eyes blazed with lust before thrusting in and out of her repeatedly, each new push a little harder and deeper than the last. Rey’s body soared higher and higher toward her peak, chest heaving and body shaking as he entered her more roughly, encouraged by her moans and shouts of his name. 

“I’m so close,” she panted, trying to wriggle her hands free. “Just a little more, Kylo, please-ah!”

A tentacle entered her mouth as another found her clit, squeezing the sensitive bundle of nerves. She flew apart for him, hips jerking as her release coated his tentacle. She watched with half-lidded eyes as he withdrew from her and licked her cum off of himself. She was surprised when his tentacles nudged her, pushing her toward the sand, so she did the same to him, pulling him on top of her as she lay underwater briefly. 

“Let me carry you again. I don’t like seeing you covered in sand. It’s coarse and gets everywhere on me then as well,” she said with a wry grin.

Kylo straddled her legs and suctioned himself to her as she stood up, walked, and settled herself in the sand, away from the waves. He started to move his bottom toward her opening until Rey got an idea, undoing the buns that held her hair back. After seeing how Ben had responded to her hair, she wanted to see if Kylo liked it. 

He did. As the strands cascaded down, Kylo was spellbound, running curious tentacles and suckers through her long, wet hair. As he stroked it, each tentacle found several wet strands, and she wondered if it looked like she had tentacles of her own to Kylo. He must have been aroused by it, for soon his monster cock unsheathed itself, the red tip dripping with his lubricant. Her mouth went dry imagining him trying to fit himself inside her, but she decided to try something different that day since she didn’t think she was ready for him yet.

“May I?” she asked, hands stopping inches from him.

In response, he lengthened until her hands could grip him firmly. As soon as she grasped him, her body spun impossibly higher, her core aching with heat and need, and his tip leaked even more. She led him to her entrance, and both made animalistic noises in their throats when his trembling tip pressed inside her, everything within her wanting him buried deeply inside her so he was joined to her in the most intimate of ways. 

After a few moments, she adjusted, and she edged him in by degrees, stopping every inch to enjoy the stretch that followed the jolts of pleasure pain as he filled her more with his cock and his lubrication. When his tip was fully inside her, she halted him from moving, holding his length in place.

“Wait. Please,” she said, stroking him. “I’m not ready for more yet, but I think I will be tomorrow.” As Kylo purred his approval, she added, “Could you just … stay there? And vibrate more? I love it when you do, and I think it’ll help me relax.”

She demonstrated by shaking her hands, and before long, he got the idea, beginning a soothing rhythm against her. She leaned back, reveling in the warmth that unfurled within her. The longer he sat there, the more she felt the stretch and embraced it, the muscles around her legs not feeling it as much. It also helped that he wove through her hair again with one tentacle, the sensations only adding to her growing pleasure. 

When she thought that he had stayed within her a sufficient amount of time, she gently pulled him out, amidst much whining from him.

“I promise you can tomorrow. I want you so badly in there, but we should practice in … other ways,” she said with a mischievous grin. She brought two tentacles to her opening, showing him what she wanted, and that was all the encouragement he needed. As he adjusted his position to sit on her stomach, the two tentacles joined together while another spread his lubricant around and into her ass, and she clenched in excitement. 

As soon as her hands moved to help him, though, he stopped them, grasping her wrists and pressing them into the sand, elbows bent to hold her up. She loved it, loved him being so forceful and in control, and she gave into him, eager to see what he would do and if he would continue to be as rough with her as she liked. She wanted him to fill her everywhere, and since he hadn’t retracted his cock yet, she kept hoping she could suck him dry as he filled every hole he could. 

Two more tentacles suctioned to and spiraled around her breasts, until all was covered except her dusky peaks. Her breath caught, and she watched him hungrily, her primal, animal need reflected in his eyes and deliberate movements. He still hadn’t entered her yet, and she wasn’t sure why.

“Kylo, please,” she begged, growing louder now that she was close to coming. 

HIs answering growl was accompanied by the movement of his throbbing cock, his tip leaving a thick trail of white along her stomach until he came to her breasts, her swollen buds yearning for attention. She arched her back, wanting to feel more friction against his tentacles, and his cock jolted forward at the same moment the grip of his tentacles relaxed, revealing more of her breast to him. Within moments, her nipple was swallowed by his cock, sucking it in hungrily as a tentacle pushed its way inside her ass halfway with one slick thrust. Her body jerked as she felt torn in two directions, body barely staying in place from the force of his thrust. 

Keening, she begged him, “Again.”

He growled as his cock released her nipple with a wet pop, lubricant coating her breast entirely and making it more sensitive. The tentacle circled around it took the place of his cock, the sucker on his tip clamping down on her as she mewled loudly and more wetness greeted the two tentacles at her pussy. 

“Kylo, please, I want, oh yes!”

She cried out incoherently as he sucked on her other nipple, covering the other breast in just as much of his fluids. The small movements at her nipple matched the tentacle as it gushed more of his lubricant inside her ass and dove in deeper a little more each time, until he couldn’t go further.

“Fill me more,” she pleaded, grinning when he unlatched from her nipple and stopped over her mouth, his delicious lubricant dribbling inside. She lapped it up until he nudged her mouth open, and she felt his two tentacles slide just the tips into her pussy. “Yes, Kylo, please, everywhere, harder-ah!”

She wasn’t sure what she had expected, but it wasn’t him grasping her hair, opening her mouth and inserting his cock. Her desire rocketed higher as her body arched in pleasure, enjoying his rough treatment too much. It only got better when his paired tentacles slammed into her, and she felt like she was being split in two by his three tentacles as they moved in and out of her shallowly in tandem. She hollowed her cheeks and sucked his cock further inside her mouth, until she could close around the full flared head. At that point she sucked greedily, running her tongue along him, and his head and body vibrated with pleasure, making him pump in and out of her with longer, more punishing strokes. 

Rey kept her eyes trained on his, determined to give him the best blowjob she could as he continued to pound into her ass and pussy. As she opened her mouth a little more, her tongue coaxed him to follow deeper within, and he surged within her, widening in size. When she hummed and sucked harder, she saw his eyes turn a rich topaz, a loud howl ripped from him as he filled her mouth with his fluids, giving her more with each suck. 

Her nerve endings were on fire, every inch of skin burning and wishing Kylo was touching it, and she couldn’t stop sucking, insatiable and needy. He burrowed deeper inside her mouth, until he hit the back of her throat and then tried to go down. She almost choked, and when he sensed her discomfort and saw the tears form in her eyes, he pulled out somewhat, waiting.

His whole body wasn’t shaking yet, so he wasn’t ready to come. Determined to make him come first, she bobbed up and down his length until he growled again, his thrusts inside her mouth beginning anew. The tentacle in her ass slowed down, but the two inside her pussy sped up their thrusts, pulling out all the way and entering her hard enough to make her body arch and jump with the force of his thrusts. She sucked him harder, and he did it again, the long tentacles circling her entrance with more lubricant before pistoning inside her.

It was a continuous positive feedback loop, each movement from the other spurring the other on. Rey’s body kept jolting back by scant inches, her bent knees and elbows barely keeping her upright so she could watch how he buried himself inside of her repeatedly, always leaving her with a string of their shared fluids connecting them. 

When his body started shaking all over, she sighed in relief, her control hanging on by a thread. She wanted to come so badly, but Kylo was more important. She finally let her legs and arms drop along with her head, and as she did so, he pulled on her hair one last time, allowing him to pull out completely. His pleading eyes begged her as his lubricant oozed continuously out of him, most going in her mouth but some also on her face and dribbling down her chin. 

“Kylo,  _ please _ ,” she begged, opening her mouth and sucking at his tip as her body coiled with tension. “I need you. All of you.”

With one fluid motion, he buried himself inside her tight, hot mouth and emptied himself inside all her holes. The force of his ejaculation, combined with a sucker suctioning to her clit, sent her into blissful oblivion, every inch of her alive as she came with a muffled cry around his cock..

They lay for a long time like that, him burrowed inside of her like he belonged there. It felt right to her. She was sated and fuller than she had ever been before, and she was at peace. They were perfectly connected, and she didn’t want to lose him. When the tentacles at her wrists released her, she was sad until they stroked lower, stopping at the area where he was still connected to her. She wanted to raise an eyebrow, but her body betrayed her, new wetness greeting his tentacles.

Instead, his tender, yellow eyes grew darker, more curious. One tentacle went to her ass, spurting more lubrication on and inside her. She kept her body perfectly relaxed and yelped as a second tip breached her ass. He froze, waiting until she nodded her head slowly, hoping the pain was temporary. Sadly, after sitting and trying a little more, he couldn’t go much further before she asked him to stop, pulling his cock out of her mouth to do so. He complied, instead taking the other tentacle and circling her entrance, asking her permission to have another join the two already deep inside her..

It was probably a terrible idea, but she wanted to know. If she could take him, she was sure she could take her monster dildo - and eventually his giant cock.

“Slowly please,” she requested, running her hands along his length. “Take me.”

His body glided closer to her head, until he was leaning over, mouth positioned over hers. She nodded, mouth opening eagerly to kiss him. As their mouths met, a third tentacle entered her pussy, with more success than her ass. The pinpricks of pain she first felt from the stretch quickly dissipated as he drenched her in lubricant, and then her body was relaxing, opening a little more to him. 

His tongue swiped and tasted, and she sucked on his tongue, pulling him deeper into her mouth as her hips rolled in sync. When he understood, he cupped her face with two tentacles, his wide tongue finding the back of her throat and dipping down, caressing her tongue. He edged his third tentacle into her pussy further, stopping when she gasped. 

Her eyes closed from the pure pleasure of it all, and he made little worried whines until she opened them again, giving him the reassurance he craved there. Knowing that he worried about her, a new gush of her wetness covered his tentacles.

He removed his mouth and tongue from her lips, so she said softly, "You're amazing, Kylo. So thoughtful. Come closer."

She felt him spurt a little more inside her, and a hand darted out and pushed him in more, showing him that she wanted him. He purred louder and kissed her repeatedly, tongue tracing her pink lips adoringly. She kept inserting him deeper, hips bucking with each half inch he went deeper, relishing every playful lick and sound as he moved to her jaw. 

When she finally reached the point of bursting, she pulled him back an inch, simply holding him inside her and letting the burn dissipate. Another few drops of lubricant soothed the pain, and he moved back to her lips, kissing her again. Other tentacles played with her breasts and clit, transforming the pleasant warmth that enveloped her into an inferno, and she didn't understand how she could still want more. 

Deciding that she shouldn't overextend her body, she pulled the third tentacle out of her completely before grasping a second one and tugging. He protested but did as she wished, bringing both tentacles dripping with their combined fluids to their mouths.

She had tasted herself before and thought it alright, but the thought of them combined fascinated her. She craned her neck up, and he flattened himself against her tongue at the same time as he tasted. Both moaned as sweet and salty merged, a new, unique flavor created. Rey couldn't swallow his tentacle fast enough, and even he mirrored her actions, sucking himself in to taste more. 

"Fuck me, Kylo," she choked out around his tentacle, tongue exploring each crevice and bump on him to savor every last drop. Her hands gripped the tentacle inside her and pushed him deeper, and he growled, slowly thrusting within her. 

When her hips met his and clenched around him, he moved faster, his strokes becoming longer and harder. Soon, both tentacles inside her two holes were entering her as one, her hands gripping his neck for support as he pummeled inside her. Their combined grunts and groans complemented one another and grew louder until they reached a crescendo, one flick of her clit pushing her over the edge. 

As her body rose and cradled him against her, she cried his name, her body finally content as it slowly came down from her high. He was still buried deep inside her, and he pressed against her walls in large circles, massaging her everywhere and hitting every pleasure center inside her that she knew and more. 

When she seemed recovered, the tentacle inside her mouth delved deeper, both tentacles ballooning slightly before he went down her throat. Sucking him harder, she felt her sense of peace dissolve into heated need as he pumped her full of the lubricant she craved drinking. She kept gulping it down until she couldn't keep up, and it overflowed, making the tentacle inside her pull out, eager to keep all of the thick, white liquid inside her. Likewise, she felt his lubricant dribble out of her opening, soaking her folds and covering her thighs in a sheen of his sticky spend. 

When she finally swallowed it all, she sat up, body at attention and new tension coiling within her as she saw how covered she was in his juices, breasts and thighs looking like they had sunscreen on them. Kylo observed her with adoration in his eyes, and she kissed him again. 

When she pulled away, she whispered, "I know I ought to clean myself off-"

She was cut off by a growled warning, and she grinned, pressing a finger to his mouth. 

"Let me finish, big boy. I should, but I'm not." She kissed him again. "I'm going to walk into work like this."

The thought of Ben seeing her like that, debauched and covered in Kylo, had her so turned on that new wetness seeped from her pussy, mixing with his. She wasn't sure if she wanted Ben to become possessive or just take her against the nearest wall until she was calling his name with abandon. 

When more wetness gathered between her legs, Kylo entered her again, not very far but enough to make her squirm and close her legs, wanting his intrusion. 

She desperately wanted to be seen by Ben like this, showing him how much she wanted Kylo. However, she would have to satisfy herself with walking into work. 

By that point, the sun was high in the sky, and she knew it had to be close to noon. Her stomach started complaining about a lack of food, and she needed to go to work. Reluctantly, she loosened her grip on him, and another long, hot burst of his lubricant spurted inside her, most of it running further down her legs and past her knees. 

When she met his eyes, he was smiling with a smug look. She kissed him one last time before standing on wobbly legs, relieved when her muscles weren't as tender as the day before. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, Kylo. I'm going to take you all the way," she promised before hobbling to her home. 

As soon as she was inside, she sighed at entering the cool air. The sun had been beating down on her, and she wouldn't be surprised if she was very tan by the end of the day. Laying against the door, part of her wanted to shower to clear off the sand, but the desire to have Ben see her like this was stronger.

Instead, she toweled off the excess sand and found her shortest mini-skirt and a white button-down shirt. She knotted the shirt to reveal his white spend dripping down her stomach, the wetness of it plastering the shirt to her breasts. 

She had never worn anything so revealing, and her body responded in kind, new wetness trickling down her legs as she grew excited to see Ben's response. 

She was about to open her door when someone knocked. "Rey? You here?" Ben called.

"Yes!" she called, throwing open the door and taking in his dilated eyes and the way his mouth dropped open. "I am. I was getting ready for work-"

"We're not working today," he said, pushing his way in and shutting the door behind him, a bulge already forming in his pants as he watched her breasts pebble and jut forward for him, her areolas clearly visible under her dampened shirt. "I've already fed everyone except myself, and I think you're about to," he murmured, stepping in front of her and rolling a hardened bud between his fingers. "I want to consume every inch of you."

Her chin dipped up in pleasure, and she gasped, more aroused than ever. "Please," she begged, groaning louder when his other hand pinched the other breast. "I need-"

"To be fucked into oblivion by me for presenting such a beautiful, tempting vision to me," he muttered, watching how her shirt slowly peeled off of her breasts as he pulled on it. "I need to bury myself inside you until neither of us can think straight."

She moved toward her bed. "We can start here-"

"What's this?" he asked, swiping at some of Kylo's lubricant on her stomach. 

"It's from Kylo. He left a present," she said, grinning wickedly as she unbuttoned the top two buttons and showed glimpses of her slick breasts to him.

Ben growled, and it sounded just like Kylo, the sound sending similar reverberations of desire racing through her. 

"I want to see it now." His hands gripped either side of her shirt as she stepped closer and unzipped her skirt. As her skirt dropped, he ripped her top apart, buttons flying everywhere as his heated gaze matched the blazing summer sun in its intensity. 

For several minutes, he stared hungrily, and she watched his eyes darken and cock strain painfully in his pants. She should've felt ashamed to be naked and covered in Kylo's juices, but she only felt proud, satisfied that his viscous white fluids still clung to her everywhere and dripped to cover more of her. She was unbearably wet, and all she wanted was for Ben to touch her, to claim her and thoroughly ravish her, just as he said she needed to be. 

"He left all that on you?" he purred, sliding a finger along her breast and smearing more of Kylo on her nipples before pinching. 

"Yes!" she gasped, arching against him and watching him carefully. "I think it's used in mating and, ah, reproduction," she grit out as he pushed her toward the bed and tweaked her nipple again. 

"How do you know?" he asked, squeezing her harder. 

"Because, oh, I can't stop thinking of you and wanting to ride your cock every time it touches me. And, every time you touch me," she paused, exhaling deeply when the backs of her legs hit the bed, "what once was a dull ache between my legs becomes an all-encompassing need for you  _ everywhere _ ."

"Good. Now you know how I feel when I see you every day," he stated, touching the rest of her breasts. 

"It also helps me stretch farther, which I think will be beneficial for our playtime tonight," she mentioned, lifting one leg to rest on the bed and rubbing her fingers along her thighs to collect some of Kylo's lubricant on her. 

His eyes turned smoldering as she spread her lower lips and stroked herself, rubbing more of Kylo inside herself with a breathy moan. When she brought the sticky fingers to her lips to lick them off, Ben moved faster, grabbing her wrist and sucking them into his mouth. Rey's eyes closed as new slick formed between her legs, reveling in the feeling of his plush lips and tongue sucking on her fingers. 

When he finally let go of her, his pupils were blown wide and black. There was a new authority in his tone when he ordered her, "Sit. We're not moving from your bed until I have taken the edge off of both of us."

She had never been so eager to obey. "Then back to your bed?" she asked hopefully, sitting. 

He nodded with a hungry gaze, perching on her knees. "Good girl. Yes. I'm going to fill you up with that tentacle." Leaning in, he kissed her before going to her ear. "You want that, don't you? To be split in two?"

"Yes, more than anything," she replied, undoing his shirt as he discarded his pants. "I'm so wet for you."

She eyed his fully erect cock, mouth dry as she watched pre-cum form on the heated, veiny length. Her legs spread apart without thinking, and he growled, spreading her legs wider and burying two fingers inside her, both jolting in pleasure. 

"Ben-"

"You're soaking for me. I'm going to fill you so good," he said, pumping faster and kissing her.

“Yes, yes, I want your cock inside me,” she begged, fingers slipping as she tried to circle his tip. "Right now."

He grunted in satisfaction, increasing the speed of his fingers, occasionally spreading them out and turning his wrist. The sensation against her pussy spurred her to begin the slow ascent to her orgasm. “I will. Fingers first, though.”

Her shoulders fell as he guided her onto the edge of her bed. As soon as she was settled, he knelt between her legs and placed three fingers inside her, pumping steadily. She had thought that she would be too sensitive to do more with him, but every touch from him, combined with all that she had drunk from Kylo, made her body ready for everything Ben would give her. 

“We’ll use it tonight, and this is a perfect way to warm-up,” he promised before he inserted a fourth inside her, making her hiss. “You like that? Or too much?” he asked, refusing to move until she responded.

“I love it,” she groaned, rolling her hips to take him further. “The stretch is … delicious. Don’t stop.”

“We’ll see,” he said with a mischievous look. As he tested her tight walls for her adjustment, he went faster when her hips rocked against him. The faster he moved, the louder she became. “You ready for my whole fist?” he asked, grinning when her body responded immediately, her juices soaking him further.

“Yes. I want to know,” she said, spreading her legs further and leaning back, trying to relax more.

“Good girl. I’ve got you,” he promised, sucking her clit into his mouth as she screamed. “I know  _ just  _ what you need.”

As he pulled out slightly, she tensed, slightly worried about him fitting after her earlier struggles with Kylo. He noticed. “Rey,” he said, voice softer, more tender. “Don’t worry. I’ve taken care of you before, haven’t I?”

“Yes,” she agreed, looking at him briefly and seeing the understanding in his eyes.

Why did they look like Kylo’s just then?

“Then relax for me, Sweetheart. I want to give you exactly what you want, and I need,” he said softly.

“You need this?” she asked hesitantly, not really believing him.

“Yes. There are many things I’ve imagined doing to you, and if you can’t take me like this, they won’t work.” He drew in closer, his voice a conspiratorial whisper. “The truth is, I want to stand behind you, take that dildo, and fuck you with it while I’m buried inside your ass, thrusting into you over and over again until you can’t think straight.”

As her body relaxed, begging for more, he pressed his four fingers inside her again. 

“I want that, too,” she admitted breathily, feeling tension build and coil within her.

“Good. If you really like it, I’ll buy you two more dildos just like it, for your mouth and ass. Would you like that? Me taking you everywhere?” he asked, an animalistic sound echoing deep within him when she gushed onto his fingers and wailed, hips rocking.

“Yes,” she moaned. “Please fill me. I need-yes!”

She crowed as he added his thumb, the stretch burning hot until her walls and growing wetness eased around him. When the slivers of pain subsided, she sighed in relief and met his intense eyes. “I’m ready.”

The smirk he wore made her nervous. “Good.” He slowly entered her further, and when he went as far as he could, he kissed her all around where his wrist was buried in her pussy. “You’re doing so well, taking my fist perfectly.” As her legs rubbed against him, he chuckled. “So needy for me to fill you up, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” she rasped, trying out a little roll of her hips experimentally. When she felt no pain, she said, “More.”

The wet squelch he made as he pulled out made her watch raptly, and when he was almost all the way out, he eased his way in again with shallow thrusts. 

“Yes, yes, that’s perfect,” she said, reaching for her peak again, fisting the bed sheets. “More.”

“That’s my greedy girl,” he said, giving her what she wanted and moving faster, going a little deeper. His eyes never left her face, mapping her every reaction.

He tried several more speeds until he found the one that made her scream most. Once he did, he brought her to the edge, both red with exertion.

“I can feel it. Please, Ben, let me have it,” she pleaded, hands going to his arm. “Please let me come.”

“I will … after I put this largest plug inside you.” He reached over and grabbed the object off the nightstand. “Move forward, Sweetheart, and let me see that tight little ass that I want to bury my cock in.”

“I want your cock more. I have lube,” she suggested, moving forward and noting just how bad he seemed to need to find his own release. She stroked his cock with her foot, delighted when his hips canted to feel more of her foot. “Come sit on the bed with me.”

“You don’t think it’ll hurt with both inside you like this?” he asked worriedly.

"No," she answered with a conspiratorial grin. "Not when I've experienced something similar." To emphasize, she swirled two fingers on her breasts before slicking more of Kylo’s lubricant around her ass. 

Ben was unable to tear his gaze from her fingers, tongue slipping out and licking his lips. When she finished, his free hand circled her ass before sliding down her leg, making designs in Kylo's spend. 

"Tell me, Rey," he began, looking up with a carefully blank face. "Do you like it when he covers you in all this?"

"Yes," she replied unflinchingly. She leaned in until she could kiss his ear. "There's something deeply primal within me that loves it when you and him mark me, claiming me."

He made a low noise in his throat as his fist thrust within her, caressing her inner walls. "I bet you do. Tell me more. Did you wear that skimpy outfit on purpose? Did you want me to see Kylo all over you? Do you want me to be jealous?" he asked, a finger going to her clit. 

"Yes," she squeaked, sighing when he pinched her clit. 

"Why?" he asked, thrusting harder within her as all softness left his gaze. "You already know I love you."

"Yes, but, ah, you don't understand how much  _ I  _ want you after being sexually frustrated for weeks," she rasped, leaning back as she planted her hands on the bed, her hips lifting to meet his thrusts. "I don't want you," she hissed, "to hold back. Not anymore."

"Rey-"

"Please," she begged, kissing him. "I want  _ all  _ of you."

He kissed her back with trembling lips, voice full of awe. "Rey-"

"I trust you with my life," she interrupted, stroking his face and tracing his lips. "I want to be there for you, too."

It was everything short of telling him she loved him, and at some level, he seemed to realize it, smiling softly. "I didn't know you cared that much."

"I do," she replied, resting her forehead against his and sighing happily.

He pulled away quickly, though, fury blazing in his eyes. "Does that mean you're just using Kylo to get to me?" 

"No!" she cried indignantly, sitting up straight. "I want him, too. He can be equally-"

She lost all words when she realized what she had admitted. But then, the strangest thing happened: a huge, goofy grin overspread his face, positively gleeful that she cared about and wanted Kylo. All of a sudden, he renewed his pounding within her, and she quickly climbed toward her peak as he hit every spot she liked. 

"Oh, Ben-"

"Yes, come for me, Rey. I want to taste you," he urged, kissing whatever he could reach. 

Her hands centered his mouth over her clit, and she asked quietly, "So you're not mad that I want Kylo?"

He looked up, eyes burning with desire. "Far from it. I want you to show me just how much you want him when I insert that tentacle dildo inside you." She gushed onto his hand, and he grinned, making her clench around him as she drew ever closer to her orgasm. "Good. Come for me."

“I want you both,” she groaned before he wrenched a scream out of her as he sucked her clit into his mouth. She fell apart around him, falling back from the force of the orgasm. Ben sucked and stroked her until she came back to earth, and she didn't understand how she was so lucky. 

"You ready for me to fill that tight little ass of yours with my cock?" he asked, licking around her opening and on her thighs, mixing her juices with Kylo's. 

"Yes," she moaned, sitting up. 

He stood up and captured her lips in a passionate kiss, both moaning at the taste of her cum with Kylo's. From that kiss alone, she felt her body rev into action, ready for more as it rocked against Ben's fist. When they broke the kiss, Ben swiped the bottle of lube off the nightstand with his free hand and slowly removed his fist from inside her - much to her disappointment - before climbing onto the bed beside her. 

They crawled to the center of the bed, Rey growing wetter by the minute as she eyed his cock. She knelt forward to give him the best angle to apply the lube, and her eyes closed in pleasure as he massaged it into her burning skin. When he was satisfied with his handiwork, he circled her ass, and she bucked against him, trying to bring him where she wanted him.

“So impatient,” he tutted before a note of awe filled his voice. “And needy. I never thought I’d find someone who would want this as much as me. You’re truly a wonder, Rey.”

“Tell me that after you’re inside me,” she snarked, earning a light pinch on her butt.

“Mm, you liked that, did you?” he murmured, enjoying the telltale rush of her slick dripping onto him. 

She closed her eyes and blushed. “Yes.”

“Don’t feel ashamed, Rey,” he said protectively, his tip entering her at last. Both paused to appreciate the tightness, Rey quickly adjusting to the familiar size. “I have … particular tastes, too. I’m going to make you feel so good.”

“Please,” she begged, moaning when he went deeper. “Yes, I do. Feel so good.”

“Good girl,” he praised. After shallowly pumping inside her ass a few more times, he moved more freely. He seemed to deem her ready, pulling out of her and sitting. With another layer of lube added, he commanded, “Come sit on me.” 

She turned and grinned, excited to feel him at a new angle. He guided her hips toward him, and her body trembled when she felt him fill her ass again, memories of previous nights making her eager. He slowly disappeared inside her with each new grunt and application of lube. 

“So tight,” he groaned. “I can’t get enough. Can’t stop thinking about it and you.”

“Nor I,” she said, easing down further. “You fill me so well.”

“Just wait until tonight. My hand is a poor substitute for a giant tentacle buried inside you.”

Rey was embarrassed by just how much she gushed at the thought of Kylo’s tentacle inside her, even if he meant her dildo. “I’m already looking forward to it,” she settled on saying, smiling when he kissed her neck.

“You’re almost there. You’re doing so well.”

His words made her sigh happily, and she took the plunge, impaling herself fully on his cock. Both sucked in loud breaths when they were finally joined.

“It seems I need to praise you more often,” he said, kissing her. “Ready for my fist?”

She turned her head. “Yes.”

He started with one finger, adding a finger each time he had inserted it twice within her to ensure she was ready. Each new finger had her crying his name as she felt fuller. He waited a little longer before adding his thumb, massaging her, and when his whole fist was buried inside her, she truly felt like she had been split open by him, reveling in it 

“Ben, this feels incredible,” she said, turning to kiss him before caressing his face and buried wrist. “But doesn’t your hand hurt at this angle? We don’t have to sit like this-”

“I’m double jointed. The pain’s not too bad,” he insisted, kissing her back. “Relax and don’t worry about me.” He reached for a breast with his free hand, distracting her. “Tell me, sweetheart, do you want me here,” he asked before he went lower, finding her clit, “or here?”

“Since I can’t have both-”

“Yet,” he interrupted, kissing her more.

“Yet, then my clit, please. I can take care of my breasts,” she said, reaching for them.

Ben watched as she straightened her back, dappled afternoon light from her curtains covering her back and profile as she grinned at him, sticking out her breasts proudly. She was utterly pleased at the way his cock jerked in appreciation of the view, so she rolled the pebbled peaks the way she liked, making a pleased sound in her throat as she lifted her head and let her hair fly about her.

His cock moved with his hand in one glorious thrust as he growled, “Do that again. That was the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen.”

She blushed and complied, leaning her head back in pleasure as he moved faster, whispering in her ear as they rocked as one in steady rhythm. Every movement ratcheted her pleasure higher, and as he continued to tell her she was beautiful, brilliant, and every other word he could think of, she found herself speechless, lost in a haze of love words and lust that brought her perilously close to the brink.

“Ben, I, I think I, I’m close,” she panted, tweaking her hardened buds.

“Close your eyes,” he said as he withdrew his cock from within her, tip resting against her asshole. When she did, she felt him smile against her skin and kiss her neck. “Such a good girl. Now, imagine me filling you up with a tentacle.”

Her breath hitched as new wetness came, wanting more than anything to feel Kylo’s tentacles inside her. Then, he was pushing inside of her, his girth much larger than before and filling her in delicious ways. As it twitched and scraped roughly against her walls, it really felt like one of Kylo’s tentacles, and she felt herself ready to careen over the edge. “Ben-”

“Come for me, Rey,” he pleaded, “Come with me.” 

She yearned to do just that, to share that beautiful climax with him. “Yes! Ben!” 

He bit down where her neck met her shoulder as he pinched her clit. As one, they found their release, everything perfect in that moment of ecstasy. She closed her eyes, lost in sensation as it seemed like he was caressing her everywhere. Rey felt him spasm and spurt inside her, and she loved feeling him quiver and give in to his own pleasure. When she came down from her high, he tugged her tightly to him, and everything felt right with the world, knowing that she had him and he wanted her.

For several peaceful moments, they did nothing but enjoy the sense of completion and rightness. Finally, he withdrew his cock first, ever so slowly. His hand stayed in a little longer, until she felt pleasant and tingly all over. She felt as though he had gotten her as ready for the dildo and Kylo’s monster cock as much as possible by staying inside her so long. When she finally saw his hand, she was a little amazed that something so big had fit inside, but given how much her slick dripped from it, she wasn’t as surprised. She turned to watch him lick her juices off of his hand, and she found herself missing him inside her already.

“Was that as enjoyable for you as it was for me?” she asked hesitantly, leaning in as she yawned.

“Yes. Better than anything I ever imagined. I love you,” he said, kissing her with heavy-lidded eyes.

He guided them down to her pillow, never breaking the kiss as they nibbled and snuggled. Before long, however, both slipped into a lazy exhaustion, their foreheads gently touching when they did, content with being close to each other.

“I promise I’ll be here when you wake up,” he whispered, pushing her hair behind an ear. “Enjoy your nap, sweetheart. When you wake up, I'm taking you to my bed.”

She snuggled closer. “I will now," she whispered with a joyous smile.

His arm ran along her back, ready to shield her from everything. Peace swept through them both, and neither desired to let go, quickly falling asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!!


	12. Playing with Ika

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey play with the dildo, and Rey discovers things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a hellish week, I am back on schedule! Many, many thanks to [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl) for the beta read and to  
> [WinglessOne](WinglessOne) for the lovely, fast moodboard!

A few hours later, the late afternoon sun was streaming through Rey’s curtains. Ben nudged her awake from their spot nestled in her bed, trailing curious fingers along her arms and stomach. "Wake up, Rey."

"Mm, is it time for dinner?" she asked groggily, her stomach grumbling in protest.

"Yes. What are you hungry for?" he asked, kissing her cheeks and face as she attempted to open her eyes. 

"Does your cock and cum count?" she asked without thinking, earning her a loud chuckle.

"Yes. I'm going to give you both, just like I'm going to feast on you tonight," he promised. "After we eat some leftovers. We've been busy."

Her eyelashes fluttered open, and she treated him to her happiest look yet. "That sounds amazing. I'm ready."

Within moments, he was out of bed and back with a washcloth, cleaning them both up a little before scooping her into his arms. He brought his clothing with him, but she didn't bother, holding his for him as they left her home and entered the humid evening air. 

Rey molded herself to Ben’s body. "If I wasn't so hungry, I'd suggest we go for a swim."

"Not tonight. I have much better plans for you," he said, striding quickly until they were indoors, both relieved to be back. 

After a quick, filling dinner of leftovers, they returned to Ben's bedroom, both on edge from Rey sitting in his lap while eating. Ben was at half-mast when Rey settled herself against his headboard and pillows, and she couldn't get enough of his face, equal parts awed and starving for her. 

"Do you want me to cover this in lube for you or anything to make it easier?" he asked, surprised when she shook her head no. 

"If you're hungry for me, take what you want first. I'm yours," she said, spreading her legs invitingly. "I know you'll prepare me enough."

"I will, or die trying," he said, placing the dildo beside her before burying his face in her folds, slurping and drinking her in like a man deprived of water for weeks.

It didn't take long before she pressed his face against her, needing him closer. Her hips undulated to meet his tongue's every thrust, and when she cried his name, he dove in deeper, consuming everything she gave him. 

"You taste perfect," he murmured as he pulled away, exchanging his tongue for two fingers inside her. "I can't get enough."

After he worked her with two fingers, he added a third and later a fourth, until she was slick with need and begging him to let her come. He refused, settling in front of her and spreading her as wide as she could go as he brought forward the tentacle-shaped dildo. The name of the dildo was printed in small, raised letters in one spot, proclaiming to be Ika. His attention strayed for a moment as he studied Ika, taking in the swaths of bright red and blue covering it. His spread hand barely encompassed the girth, and it was still smaller than Kylo’s cock.

Despite her earlier words of assurance, Rey was still a little worried about fitting the object inside her, but she held onto hope that all her practice with Ben and Kylo had paid off. 

He lined it up with her wet opening when he was done studying. "I think you're ready," he said, kissing her lower lips one last time. She gushed a little more for him, and he grinned, getting on his knees. "We'll take it nice and slow. Tell me if it's too much, or when you're ready for more."

She nodded her head in agreement. "I will." She grasped the narrower part of the dildo and guided it inside her. "This much is okay," she said, pushing it in further as Ben held it in place against her.

It took a little longer to adjust to the increase in girth, but when she broke away from Ben's heated gaze to look down, new slick appeared around the giant dildo. 

"You really like this," he stated, inserting it deeper inside her as her mouth went dry watching the large tentacle disappear inside her.

"Yes. I told you I fantasize about it, almost as much as I do about you," she said, hissing as the wider part began to stretch her. "Slower now."

"Of course. You're doing so well," he said encouragingly, bending over to lay butterfly kisses around her opening, pleased when her own natural lubrication dripped out. 

They inched the tentacle inside her a little more, and she made a little noise of surprise as the fake veins and suckers pressed against her walls. She waved her hand, his sign to stop, and she closed her eyes, trying to imagine it was Kylo. 

Thankfully, Ben started kissing her more. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to just watch when you look this sexy? I want to pull it out and fill you instead, as hard as I am." He got back up with a grin. "On the other hand, you've never looked better, with that thing partly inside you. I want to see it get halfway next."

"Me too. This is one of the bigger things I've had inside me," she said, eyeing him when a knowing grin crossed his face.

"I'm sure it is, but I know you can take it. Do you like the feel of it inside you?" he asked as he gently pushed it in further.

"It's fine," she said with a shrug.

"What don't you like about it?" he asked, scrunching up his face, seemingly upset. 

"It's not the same as Kylo," she sighed, missing the smirk that filled his face as she looked off in the distance. "He feels so much better, more real."

Just imagining Kylo and his hard ridges inside her made her gush a little more, her hips rising to accept the intrusion. 

"I see," he said, his smile threatening to become permanently etched on his face. "You'd let him fill you more, wouldn't you?" he asked, punctuating the question by inserting the dildo another inch. 

"Oh yes," she admitted, falling back dreamily.

"Close your eyes. Imagine it's him inside you," he coaxed, kissing her thighs. "You taste so good."

"Ben." Her eyelids fluttered closed as she edged her hips closer to him. "More please."

"I thought you liked it when I was rough and commanding," he said, kissing a trail of fire along the full length of her thigh. 

"I do, but I also love how gentle and loving you are. Why can't I have both?" she asked, pouting and looking at him. 

"Do you really want both?" he asked, his head poking up to meet her eyes.

He asked one thing, but she took it a different way, thinking of Ben and Kylo. "Yes. I don't want to choose."

"You don't have to," he said with a mysterious smile. "Another push and we're halfway."

She paused to adjust before nodding. "Fill me, Ben. I'm ready," she said, leaning back and closing her eyes again. "I want this so much. I want you."

"You'll have me soon enough. I promise." 

The stretch seemed like too much when the burn hit her, but as soon as he kissed her, the burn lessened, pain melting into pleasure. 

"You did it. Halfway. I'm so proud of you," he said, kissing her and twisting the dildo inside her.

It felt more like Kylo, and she groaned as her slick seeped out around the dildo. "Deeper," she panted. "Keep doing that."

"It feels like Kylo, doesn't it?" he asked, notching it in more. 

"Yes.” She paused as she realized the direction of their conversation. “Isn't that wrong? Why are you so okay with it?" she asked, raising her head to meet his hungry gaze. 

He considered her question for a moment before answering, "No, it’s not wrong. I didn't think anyone would ever learn to care for him; I've never been happier to be proven incorrect."

"It's so easy to care about him; I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't once they got to know him," she replied, languidly caressing his cheek.

"You assume a lot that people would. They don't." His voice grew sad, as though he had been personally rejected, before he cleared his throat. "It's one of many things I love about you, your openness," he said softly, tracing circles on her skin.

"Ben-"

"No, lean back. Let me show you how much I love you," he said, gently pushing her back toward the pillows when she tried to embrace him. "I want you to be happy. If Kylo makes you happy, then I am, too. Besides," he said, pressing the dildo in further when her hand encouraged him, "it means I can do this and anal with you whenever."

She chuckled ruefully, eyes closing. "Before I moved here I never thought about anal or any of this," she confessed, adjusting to the size and girth. When it twisted inside her, she thought of Kylo and his monster cock. Wetness gushed out of her, and she was embarrassed, at least until she felt his tongue lick it all away. "That feels nice."

"There's more where that came from," he said with a smile, "especially if you keep feeding me like this."

She hummed happily in response and mused on his wording. If he considered it her  _ feeding _ him, then she'd give him what he craved, just as she couldn't get enough of Kylo's lubricant and Ben's cum. "Good. I will."

The deeper it went, the more it felt like Kylo's tentacle. Her body  _ yearned _ to have him and his giant cock inside her, filling her until she was split in two, and with each new inch gained, she edged closer to that reality. He switched the angle occasionally, helping her adjust faster and push her closer to her orgasm. 

There was no equal to Ben, lavishing her with sweet, loving compliments. It was like having the best of both worlds, Kylo's tentacles and Ben's words and love as he entered her, an undercurrent of joyful bliss ever present. The sound of his voice, along with his praise, helped her through the second half of the tentacle that he moved at a snail's pace deeper inside.. 

However, a funny thing happened when there was only another inch left before it was fully seated within her. Ben's grip on her thighs grew tighter, just as his voice did. Up until that point, his breathing had been growing shallower, panting at her progress, but now she could hear every one of his labored breaths, especially since he was talking less. 

When she couldn't take the silence anymore, she snuck a peek at Ben, unprepared to see him lying between her legs, his intense look sending warm shivers all through her body. He didn't notice until her body betrayed her, a fresh rush of slick greeting him. At that, she cupped his face.

"You look so hard at work," she stated, surprised when his face didn't soften. Instead his face looked more determined. 

"I am, but not as hard as you. You're so close."

"I am. I'm amazed we did it. It's worth it," she said, sensing her body's adjustment as he went to her lower lips, sucking them into his mouth.

The rush of desire was overwhelming. She pushed his mouth against her further, eager to feel more. "Ben. Please-"

"I'll try to suck it all in, once that tentacle is fully seated within you," he promised. "You're addicting."

More of her juices leaked out, and he took every morsel she would give him. Rey felt like she was ready to combust, the heat within and the sense of fullness unlike anything she had known before. Ben was the oxygen she needed to breathe, that gave life to and fanned every flame within her. 

Her hands fisted his hair. "Ben-"

"Just give me a little more. You'll do that for me, won't you, sweetheart? I can't stop," he panted, lapping around the dildo. 

"Yes," she groaned, a relieved sigh echoing in her chest as she felt her body adjust. "My clit-oh! So good."

His tongue rolled over it until he sucked it into his mouth, words leaving her as she almost came. Fresh waves of arousal hit her, and she clung to Ben as he sucked and licked.

"I'm gonna come, Ben. I'm ready. Please fill me," she begged, pulling his mouth away. "We're so close."

"My good girl," he said, kissing her as he filled her the rest of the way. That small, gentle shove sent sparks all through her body, and when he sucked her lower lips into his mouth, humming loudly, she came with a loud cry. Little explosions all over her body were set aflame, and Ben held the tentacle inside her as her body was wrecked, rising off the bed involuntarily from the sheer force of the orgasm. He was there to kiss and soothe her trembling body, drinking in everything she gave him. 

She felt so impossibly full, and she had never felt better. It was  _ a lot _ , but she felt a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction unlike anything she had known before. She lay back, embracing the warmth that bloomed throughout, and Ben kept up his steady stream of love words, telling her how proud he was of her, of how perfect she looked, and how strong her body was.

She mussed his hair, keeping him close. "I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you, Ben." 

She lay there, the euphoric sensations that had rocked through her slowly giving way to another warmth, this one of anticipation. His fingers danced across her heated skin, creating new frissons of pleasure all over, as his tongue and lips moved slowly and deliberately, touching her where he knew she liked it most.

"I don't know how you do it," she sighed when he managed to elicit another jolt of want through her body. "You're relentless."

"I'm a researcher; I've made it my life's work to study your body and its every reaction until I know it better than my own," he said, grinning against her skin. 

"Mm, you spoil me."

"I always will," he vowed, giving her one last kiss when he saw more of her arousal. 

The air around them grew humid, charged with the shared knowledge that now that she could take the dildo, the real fun could begin. For a moment she enjoyed lying there, basking in the love he gave her so willingly, and then she felt the mattress beneath her shift, causing her to look up.

He knelt in front of her, this time right up against her, his eyes dark with hunger. His fingers traced the edge of the dildo and her walls, and her hips bucked, wanting more.

"Are you ready for me? You're not going to remember your own name when I'm done with you," he said, grinning when she shivered.

"Yes," she said, moving one leg onto his shoulder for a better angle as he withdrew the dildo and entered her again with it. 

"Don't hold back. I want everyone to hear you and know I did it," he said, leaning over her body and kissing her. 

A little more slick dribbled onto his hands, and he pulled away, licking his fingers. She rocked her hips experimentally, wanting to feel more.

"Then don't go easy on me. I like it rough," she said, bringing his fingertips further into her, to better grip the tentacle. 

He gripped it tightly with both hands, and she eased the path out a little more, her body tensing in anticipation. 

Holding his heated gaze, she braced against the headboard. "Do it."

His look was feral. With one long, wet pull, Rey shrieked as he withdrew the tentacle halfway before tilting it and thrusting it back in. He paused nervously, only for her to grunt, "Again."

"But you--"

"I'm not used to the size. It feels incredible. Don't stop," she interrupted, hands reaching for his.

He grinned. "As you wish." All concern left his face as determination set in his features. 

He pulled out more slowly the next time, the wet noises her body made as it slowly released the dildo obscene and loud in the otherwise quiet room. When only the tip remained inside her, both of their shoulders sagged. Rey couldn't believe that giant thing had fit, and her body appreciated the reprieve. 

Ben stared at the cum covering the dildo longingly, licking his lips. Rey couldn't help noticing that his twitching cock looked ready to release, and she wished she could take him in her ass. Experience with Kylo said having him there as well would make everything feel even better, but she didn't want to take the chance that it was too much for her body. Not yet. Once she could take Kylo’s monster cock, then she was sure that she could take anything.

When two of his fingers swiped along the toy before sucking them clean with a groan, Rey clenched around the tip, whimpering.

"Please, Ben. Don’t be a tease."

His hungry eyes fell upon her, and she felt as though Kylo had inhabited his body. There was no more humanity in those depths, only animal ferocity, and the way he growled made her even wetter.

“Lay down,” he commanded, his hands growing white-knuckled as he watched. When she complied, he slid the tentacle a little further inside her. “Good. So obedient.” 

“I need you,” she said, body trembling.

“No. You need this tentacle, and I intend to give it to you,” he said with a smirk. “Every last inch.”

“Will you come on my breasts when I finish?” she asked, toes curling when he inserted the toy a little deeper. 

His breathing stilled, nostrils flaring. “Would you like that?”

“Yes.”

She barely eked out her answer before he entered her fully with one strong thrust. The stretch was delicious, and she grunted her approval, moaning when he pulled out, murmuring, “You’re incredible.”

“What will it be? Long and steady, or short and fast?” he asked, pushing the toy halfway inside her.

“I don’t care. I just want-ah!”

“You want this tentacle buried so deep inside you that you can’t think,” he said, pulling out and kneeling above her for more power. 

She nodded, groaning pleasurably as he shallowly pumped into her, changing the angle with each entrance. Every time he hit a new spot, she moaned her approval, hands clutching the bed sheets harder with each thrust. Tension grew within her anew, and she focused on keeping her legs as far apart as possible to enjoy every delicious sensation he gave her. 

When he drove into her further, she pleaded, “Harder.” He met her needy eyes and leaned over her, filling her all the way as he did so. He watched her eyes roll back, new moisture weeping onto his hands. “Ben-”

“Like this?”

“Yes. Ben-”

“Don’t say my name,” he requested, kissing her. “Close your eyes. Give yourself completely to me.”

She nodded eagerly, closing her eyes and gripping the edges of the bed in expectation. There was nothing she wanted more in that moment than to let him have control. She trusted him fully because she knew he always put her first, and she felt safe. So very safe. It didn’t matter that she felt small because she knew she was still the one who held the power, that he would stop if she asked or was in pain. It was a heady thing, that power, and it intermingled with the love they shared and the satisfying sense of fullness he gave her.

She just wished he’d do the deed already. 

He watched her squirm and rock her hips, everything within her tight and needing release. Sweat-slicked and red with exertion, she presented herself to him in total trust. And with a tentacle-shaped dildo, at that.

She hissed as he exited, both loving the wet sounds her body made, clenching around nothing and chasing after the thing that gave her so much pleasure. He didn’t give her any time to breathe, however, as he dove in excitedly, wanting to push her and give her everything she desired. One long thrust, then another, steadily filling her as she adjusted faster, begging for more with every moan and cry she made. She wanted this as much as he did, and she lived for his fierce, unrelenting pace, rough but not too harsh. 

Rapidly she sped toward her peak, each sound she made growing louder the closer she drew. When she felt him twist the tentacle within her, she begged for it and received it. Each rough slide of the veins against her tight walls pushed her a little closer, and it felt more like Kylo. A new gush of wetness greeted him as he pulled out that time, and she cried, “Please! I can feel, I’m close-”

“Keep talking,” he demanded, moving faster. She cried out in ecstasy after he entered her fully, chest heaving and wet hair plastered to her face, and he did it again, grinning darkly as he watched her lips form a single word on her lips, breathing it quietly. “Say it. Say his name.”

Her body shuddered at being called out. Nervous, she whispered Kylo’s name. 

“Louder. Let me hear you. Say his name like you mean it,” he commanded, shoving inside her harder. “Like you want it.”

She whimpered, one hand going to a taut nipple and rolling it. “Kylo.”

“Good girl,” he said, going deeper and turning it inside her, not moving again until she uttered his name another time. She pinched her nipple in response before grabbing the other one, and she heard the smugness in his voice. “You want to come, don’t you?”

“Yes, Kylo. More than anything,” she breathed, working faster as her body coiled tighter, the pressure mounting dramatically. She imagined Kylo easily, his voice imperious and commanding, his giant cock impaling her as he sucked on her hardened buds. “Please, I want to come.”

“Say it. Beg me for it.” He pulled out halfway, and she wailed, missing the intrusion.

“Please, Kylo, I want to come!”

“My perfect, needy girl.” After sucking her clit into his mouth, he filled her up.

All the pressure within her released with a loud keen, screaming Kylo’s name into the night. Rey was sure all their neighbors far away heard her, as good as it felt to come. She was confused as she felt him withdraw the dildo from her within moments of release, but that was when she felt his lips and tongue lap at her juices, letting his face be covered in her as he drank his fill. His tongue licking and soothing was in sharp contrast to the hard dildo, and she loved it, closing her legs around his head and tugging on his hair to encourage him. 

When she felt his tongue go much deeper than expected, she sighed and let go, letting the tingles of euphoria work their way through her body as she pressed her core against him. “Kylo.”

He hummed within her, the vibrations rocking through her pleasantly. “Yes.”

“Thank you. That was incredible.” 

Her eyes remained closed as she melted into the mattress, ready to sleep and not get up for a long time. He finally pulled away when he was content, and she felt his knees press gently against her. 

“You look quite done for.”

He sounded amused, and she smiled unabashedly before opening her eyes. “I am, in the best of ways. Thank you, Ben,” she murmured, resting a hand on his thigh. 

When she noticed that he was still painfully erect, pre-cum leaking all over his cock, her eyes widened in horror. “Ben!” He gave her a worried look, and she surprised them both as she sprang up, grasping his length. “You’re still holding on. Why didn’t you come yet? Let go.” He shivered under her touch, bucking his hips as she slid her hand along his length and gripped his base. Her lips hovered just shy of his shaking tip as she murmured, “I want to taste you. Come for me.”

Her tongue wrapped around his tip, and she moaned at the taste. Seconds later, he roared her name and lost control, spurting into her mouth and on her face and breasts. As he panted and recovered, she blushed and stroked him, occasionally kissing the flaccid cock before licking him clean.

He fell on top of her, arms barely holding him above her. Kissing her, he said shakily, “That was, there aren’t even words for what I just felt-”

“I love you,” she interrupted before kissing him briefly. “I’m glad. I want you to be happy, too.”

His hand grasped her chin as his weight settled over her, holding her still. “What did you say?”

She grinned at the pleading look in his eyes, the cautious yet hopeful one that begged her to repeat the magic words he had been longing to hear. “I love you, Ben.” 

“You do?” he asked in awe.

She grinned, feeling warmth spread through her. “Yes, I do.” Kissing him sweetly, she felt freer than she had in a long time. When she pulled away, kiss unreturned, she gave him a disbelieving look. “Why is that so hard to believe?”

“You don’t  _ really  _ know me. We’ve known each only a short period of time-”

“I  _ know  _ this is real. If you can know, so can I,” she insisted. 

“I don’t deserve you,” he said, leaning in, his smile radiant.

She wanted to look at that smile and wake up to it every day. “You deserve much better than me.”

“You’re perfect, everything I ever wanted and thought I could never find. I’ve been waiting for a girl like you to come into my life for a very long time,” he said quietly. “I can’t believe I’ve found you.”

His shoulders relaxed as he leaned in, cradling her face and kissing her passionately. She kissed him back, lips and tongues exploring, and Rey didn’t understand how her body could still want more as her hips unconsciously met his.

“It’s never enough for you, is it?” he said, grinning and rolling off her and onto the floor.

She followed, shaking her head ruefully. “Apparently not. That was the most powerful orgasm I’ve ever had, and I already can’t wait for more with you. I just think it’ll have to wait,” she said, wincing as the sore muscles between her legs ached.

“Of course. For now, we bathe,” he said, scooping her up and taking her to his giant tub. “We can clean each other up and take it slow.”

“Not too slow or I’ll fall asleep,” she quipped, making him chuckle.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let you. I’ll keep you occupied,” he said, kissing her forehead. 

They shared unhurried kisses as he turned the water on and eased them into the tub once it was half-full. With Rey in his lap, they worked in tandem to wash every inch of skin and strand of hair they could, each taking turns to stand up and letting the other kiss and rub with body wash. 

It was at the end as they finished rinsing off that Rey felt Ben’s cock hardening against her, and she shamelessly ground against him with her backside.

“If you keep that up, I’m going to take you right here,” he grumbled in her ear.

She turned her head and gave him a coquettish smile. “Touch me, and you’ll see how ready I am for you.”

“I swear you’re going to-”

He lost his words as he slipped a finger between her folds, amazed at how slick she was as he slid in easily. Growling, he kissed her and brought her hips closer, brushing his semi-hard cock against her pussy. “You’re insatiable. I love you.”

“Gently, please,” she reminded him. “I want you so much.”

“I’m not taking you there. You need to recover. I want to lose myself in your ass,” he said, entering her cautiously. After lubricating himself with several pumps inside her pussy, he pulled out, now fully hard. “You’re still so tight, and I can’t wait to be inside your ass.”

“Mm, keep talking,” she said, moving until his tip rested against her ass. “I love your dirty talk.”

“I’m going to claim it and fill it, and I’m going to make you dirty all over again so I can hold you longer. I don’t want this to end,” he said, growing softer and quieter.

“It doesn’t have to until we want it to. I don’t want to leave you, either,” she said, caressing his face. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. Always will,” he said, easing his way inside. When he was halfway in, he groaned. “So tight. Come ride me.”

With her back to him, he sunk down the rest of the way in one thrust that left them both reeling. Rey was the first to recover, lifting up and impaling herself on him as bath water splashed out of the tub. She loved listening to his pleased grunts of approval, riding him and taking her pleasure. With each new bounce of her hips, water sloshed around them in time with her movements, each wave of water mirroring the cresting waves within Rey. He plunged into her as his fingers found her clit and rolled a nipple. Before long, Rey was soaring, grasping for but never reaching that final climax. 

“I’m so close-”

“Turn as much as you can toward me.” As she turned around fully and slowly, both relished the way her tight walls clenched around him. When she was done, he grinned and noticed her flushed skin and rosy nipples, one hand near her clit. “It’s my turn to mark you.”

As soon as he sucked a nipple in and bit just hard enough, she came with a strangled cry, collapsing on top of him. He pumped roughly into her, and her back arched as her hips lifted off of his momentarily at his last thrust before he finally spilled inside of her. As he softened inside her, a finger rubbed the sensitive skin around her ass, and she felt a pleasant warmth envelop her there, as though some of Kylo’s lubricant was being massaged into her skin. When the same finger entered her core, she moaned and moved to feel his finger in other areas.

“That feels so good, Ben. Thank you for being so thoughtful and taking care of me,” she said, kissing his neck. 

“Anything for you. Ready for bed?”

“Yes. I want to snuggle tonight,” she said as she stepped out of the tub and dried off. 

“Way ahead of you, Sweetheart. I’m going to hold you so close you’ll be begging me to let go,” he joked as he followed suit. 

“That’ll  _ never  _ happen,” she whispered, kissing his neck as he ducked down to dry his legs.

Once they were settled under a comforter, their limbs entangled in one another. Front to front, they cuddled, her head tucked in the crook of his neck. He couldn’t stop kissing the top of her head and face, and she ran reverent hands along his arms and chest, kissing him occasionally.

“We should sleep,” he said between yawns.

“Probably, but I don’t want to stop,” she said before he gently moved her hands onto his hips.

“Go to sleep. You can have me again in the morning, my insatiable love,” he murmured, kissing her one last time. “Close your eyes.”

“Yes, love,” she said, grinning. As she settled, he wrapped his arms around her, and she burrowed herself into his warmth. After a few minutes of having her eyes closed, she felt the pull to sleep. “Good night.”

Minutes later, both were fast asleep, lost to the world. When Rey awoke, she was still entangled in Ben, their chests bumping against one another. His body heat and the feel of him surrounding her was the only indication she had that he was there since the bedroom was so dark. 

She snuggled into him a little longer, and as her eyes adjusted to the low light, she admired his face and began tracing patterns on his six-pack and face, excited to have a chance to just touch and be with him. 

"Rey," he murmured groggily, still asleep. 

"I'm here, Ben," she whispered, kissing his cheek. 

He moved from his side to his back, taking her with him since his arms were still wrapped around him. Squeaking in surprise, she rolled on top of him, surprised to feel him half-hard already. She ran a hand along his length, marveling at how rigid he was then, even though not fully erect. 

Without the cloud of lust or light-headed feeling of completion, she could take a step back and remember the last few days of marathon sex she had had with Ben. It was curious, as she had felt a distinct difference in the shape and feel of his cock that one time he told her to imagine it was Kylo’s tentacle inside her, as it really had felt just as large and soft as one of his tentacles. For that matter, his tongue had gone in way deeper than should have been physically possible, as though he had Kylo’s long tongue. It was even more curious as the area between her legs wasn’t sore anymore, as though Ben had somehow accessed Kylo’s lubricant. There was no way he could, though, right?

Unless, of course, he and Kylo were the same person, her scientist brain whispered. It could be her lust-addled brain and body wanting it to be so she didn’t feel guilty about wanting both, but she couldn’t ignore the niggling feeling that there had to be some reason why Ben’s last assistant left, or why he seemed turned on by the idea of her calling him Kylo’s name. 

There were too many coincidences to be ignored now. Why else would Ben be so eager to find someone who wanted anal and wanted to use that tentacle-shaped dildo on her? 

The thought of last night’s activities made a shiver rush through her, and she was amazed at her body in how it came to life. Silently resolving to explore the possible connection of Ben to Kylo, she ran her hands along his length, and she contemplated sucking him off as a way to  _ really _ wake him up. She decided against it, only because she wanted to kiss him more. 

"Ben, wake up. I want to ride your cock."

"No, not that," he replied, hands going to her waist and positioning her already wet entrance near his cock. "Want to fill you right."

She rubbed against his tip, whimpering softly. "Mm, I'd like that. How? Going to fill me with your tentacle?"

"Yes."

She froze, shocked that he would admit it. She wished he could have Kylo's tentacles, as everything would be easier that way. It tipped the scales in that seemingly impossible direction a little more. His shallow thrusts against her made her run her hands up and down his chest, kissing him more often to wake him up. She wanted them both to be awake to have sex.

"Ben, please-"

He rocked harder against her, almost entering her that time. She kept resisting, but she wanted to feel him inside her pussy. Going to his neck, she bit him, hard enough to leave a mark. 

She was rather proud of it. She paid close attention to where it was located so she could look for a corresponding mark on Kylo.

His cock surged into her as he moaned, but when his tip was covered in her wetness, he woke up suddenly, eyes blinking in confusion. 

"Rey?"

"Oh thank goodness," she said, heaving a sigh of relief. "I don't know if I could have resisted riding you much longer."

His lips pursed, watching her with curiosity and awe. "I'm glad I woke up when I did. It couldn't have been a dream of mine."

"Why?" she asked, confused.

She reached for his face, and he shied away, not wanting her to touch him as he admitted the truth. "Because you always run away screaming or aren't that wet for me in my dreams," he said, a little ashamed. 

Her heart broke for him, and she clasped both sides of his face, forcing him to look at her. There was a haunted look in his eyes, and she wanted to wipe it from existence. “I don’t understand why, but it would be impossible for me to do either of those things, seeing as I love you. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving it and reassuring you of it.”

“Rey,” he choked, burying his face in the crook of her shoulder, “no. You don’t have to. I believe you.”

He didn’t yet since he wouldn’t tell his secrets, but it was just a matter of time now. All of the days had been blurring together since she had arrived, but it felt like a month had passed. 

“I want to anyway,” she said, kissing him tenderly and cupping his face. "I'm sorry you ever felt like that; I'm here now." Nuzzling his nose, she added, "Always."

He kissed her back, and when his hands went to her breasts, caressing them the way she liked, she held them there. 

"No, Ben. Wait. It’s not about me and my pleasure always, as much as I love it. You’re just as important,” she said, eyeing him. When he got huffy, she continued, “You  _ always  _ put me first. What do you want?”

He snorted. “To make you come and savor every last drop of your cum.”

Her face grew warm. “We can do that. Later. You don’t want me to give you a blowjob or something like that?” Her legs brushed against his cock, and it jumped in approval. “I don’t need to come every time.”

He looked absolutely horrified. “You will if I have any say in the matter.”

She smiled indulgently. “You’re the sweetest. I don’t know how all the girls before me could bear to leave you.”

“There haven’t been other women before you. Only you,” he said proudly, shocking Rey to her core. “I can’t remember ever feeling any interest in a woman before you.” His face grew troubled, and then he added, “The few times I’ve tried to approach a woman just to try something, she always ran away in fear.”

Rey found that hard to believe based on how attracted she was to him when she first met him, so it only added fuel to the fire that Ben was also Kylo somehow. 

“They’re all fools. They don’t know what they’re missing out on, and I’m  _ never  _ letting you go,” she promised, rubbing herself up and down his length until he was coated in her slick. “I still can’t believe I’m your first everything.”

He hissed, adjusting her hips until he was lined up with her ass. “You are, and you’re the only one I want. This is better than anything I ever imagined with you.”

Clenching around nothing she was surprised he didn’t want to have normal sex. That was when she realized that they never had had it before, that he had always avoided it, only entering her there to prepare for anal. It made her wonder. 

“I feel the same way as you,” she said, kissing him. “But why do you always want to do anal, especially when you’re so new to all this?” She lowered her body and moved him to where she really wanted him, letting his tip become soaked in her juices. “Why not here? I love it even more here.” 

He paled considerably. “It’s hard to explain and rather embarrassing--”

“There’s no need,” she said comfortingly, reaching out and cradling his face. “I won’t laugh. I’m genuinely curious. I want to understand.”

He looked so scared in that moment as his eyes darted back and forth, looking for a way out. Heaving a long sigh, he relaxed his shoulders and looked down at her breasts. 

“You’ve had tentacles and a giant dildo inside you; there’s no way you want my tiny cock.” When she gasped, his head darted up, ready to explain. “Which is fine! I don’t mind. I have particular tastes-”

She silenced him with a finger to his lips. “I have particular tastes, too, but I still dream nightly about having sex with you.”

His cock twitched as his hips jumped, entering her just a little more. Rey groaned as though she had just tasted the most delicious food ever, and Ben looked shell-shocked. “How? Why? You could have so much better and bigger.”

“Because they’re not  _ you _ , Ben,” she said with a shake of her head. “It’s more special when it’s you, the person I love. Love makes all the difference, makes it feel so much more special in a way I can’t explain.” She edged a little lower on him, and she hummed, enjoying how smooth he was. “Besides, I don’t need to be stretched to my body’s breaking point all the time.”

He nodded in understanding, allowing that. Grinning, she took him a little deeper, and both sucked in a breath as she clenched around him.

“Sometimes, all I want is to make love to the man I love most, like I do right now,” she said gently. “Can I show you how magical and special it is?”

“Please,” he choked out, voice full of emotion. “I want to know at least once what it feels like, to be loved by someone and love them in return.”

“I’m sure we’ll do it many more times, or at least I hope we do,” she said, hating how much he doubted himself. “Even if you’re unsure of your ability to please, trust in me. Believe that I  _ do  _ care and love you more than you could ever fathom.” 

“I do,” he said with conviction. “I’m ready.”

Even though she pulled off of him, she still felt more aroused than ever. Excitement and anticipation raced through her, and she was all the more determined to give him a first time experience to remember. 

“Me too,” she said, sitting up and gripping the sides of his body for support, her opening centered over him. “I’ll try to go slow at first, but I make no promises. I’ve dreamed about riding your cock for a long time. I want you so bad.”

The high-pitched whine he made in his throat only further convinced her that he was Kylo. She lowered herself slowly, stopping halfway to look at his face, at how ridiculously happy he was. She was sure that he was only reflecting what she felt, but it was beautiful to see. Tightening around him experimentally, she smirked when she saw his eyes close, a look of pure bliss on his face.

“Just wait until you’re fully inside me,” she said, taking him deeper. 

She felt every inch and loved each second of it. The further down she went, the more she was convinced that his smile was going to become permanently etched on his face, as wide as it grew. She couldn’t have been happier, and it only added fuel to her growing desire. When he was fully seated within her, she simply sat there, loving the feeling of his balls against her and the way he slotted within her like he was her missing piece, the part of her she had been missing. 

“This is perfect,” she said, face glowing. “How do you feel?”

“Amazing. I didn’t know it could be like this,” he said, voice awed and face incandescent. 

“And this isn’t even the best part,” she said with a conspiratorial wink.

He was about to ask when she clenched around him fully, and he almost came from that alone, based on the way he spasmed within her. His white knuckles shook with the rest of him, and she was grateful that she was close to her orgasm as well. Neither of them were going to last.

“Why does it feel so much better and … different right now?” he asked with a shiver as she raised herself up, ready to go at it with him.

“Because this is special and we both know it,” she replied. “Don’t close your eyes, Ben. Eyes on me. See how happy you make me just as you are.”

He tried to speak, but it turned into a guttural groan as she fully sheathed herself on him, trying her hardest to keep her eyes open.

“Rey, I’m not going to last-”

“Good,” she panted as she lifted up halfway, body aching with need. “Neither am I.”

Ben grew louder as Rey went faster, the thrusts short but deep from the force of them. After several more thrusts, Rey knew she was ready. Guiding one of his hands to her clit, she moved until he was fully out of her.

“Take me, Ben. Make me yours.”

She let go, slamming down onto him until he bottomed out inside her. His fingers found her clit, and she screamed Ben’s name, clenching even harder around him.

“Rey!” 

His whole body shook as he found his release, coming inside her until it dripped out around the spot where they were joined. Rey couldn’t stand the thought of moving when she felt a sense of completion unlike any of the other times before, and Ben’s steady gaze held hers, unable to look away or care that he was soft within her now.

“I could stay here all day like this,” she said softly.

“I wish I could,” he muttered, reaching out for her. “Lay with me?”

She nodded happily, lowering the rest of her body onto his before he turned them on their sides, her eyes fluttering closed. Snuggling against him, she asked, “Can we stay here all day? Like this?”

He chuckled. “If only. We should work today. Perhaps post that blog of yours. You should go for a swim as well.”

Her eyes burst open as he pulled out. “We just made love, and you want me to go to Kylo? Why?”

“One more time. Please,” he pleaded, cupping her cheek with a trembling hand. “Do it for me. Make him feel special the same way you have for me. Please.”

She didn’t understand, so she assumed it was because he felt that part of him could never be loved. She would show him.

“I’ll do anything for you,” she agreed, kissing him. “I love you.”

“I know,” he said, grinning. “Thank you.”

As she left the bed to eat, Ben sat on the edge, his whole body shaking. When she questioned it, he mentioned needing to use the bathroom and to go on without him. Leaving him to it, she ate and left the lab, heading for the ocean. 

She couldn’t believe she was getting what she wanted and secretly dreamed of, but she wanted Ben to know that he could trust her and believe her. The feelings she had for Kylo weren’t exactly the same as the ones she felt for Ben, and that was okay, she realized. They were two different beings, and she loved them each in her own unique way. 

The way her heart skipped a beat at the thought of loving Kylo told her the truth. She did love Kylo, somehow. It may have started out as academic interest and lust, but it had turned into something else over time. 

As she entered the outdoors, she felt a wave of heat hit her, the sun and sand blistering on her bare feet and skin. She jogged as fast as she could over the sand, taking in the empty beach and eternally grateful for it. As soon as her feet touched the water, it was like coming home, a sense of peace filling her as the open water always did. Walking in until knee-deep, she then dove into the salt water, ready to embrace Kylo.

It was time to tell him the truth and see if she was right about them. Then she could say honestly that she loved Ben, no matter what form he took.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!!


	13. To Just Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rey says some things and isn't allowed to say others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! I am deeply sorry about the delay, but it's been one of those months for me. Good news is that the chapter is finally out! I will be answering comments, but after I sleep. I hope you all enjoy the little lull! If you liked the feels of last chapter, I'm hoping you'll love this one just as much :-) The feels are here to stay, I'm happy to say. 
> 
> Many thanks as always to [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl) for the beta and   
> [WinglessOne](WinglessOne) for the great moodboard!

Rey had never been more excited.

The bracing ocean water woke her up and enveloped her as soon as she entered it. She tilted her head back above the water's edge, letting her hair and its accompanying droplets cascade off of her, as she rubbed the salt water out of her eyes. Kneeling in the firm, malleable sand, she didn’t have to wait more than ten minutes before she spotted Kylo, a gush of wetness coming in anticipation. 

She wasn’t sure if she was more excited to find her mark on Kylo’s neck or to finally have his giant dick fill her completely. 

Kylo didn’t even bother waving that day, jetting toward her with single-minded determination before his tentacles surrounded her, two wrapping around her face, waist, arms, and legs, all with the intent to hold her against him. That time, she noticed that he used his two upper tentacles to cradle her face, as though he were using his arms to hold her, and she wondered how she didn't see it before. 

There was an unmistakable hint of tenderness in Kylo's eyes, only further confirmation in her mind. She eagerly embraced him, wrapping herself around him completely. When she spotted her mark on a corresponding part of his neck, she sighed happily, not sure how it was scientifically possible that Ben and Kylo were the same, but that it must be so. 

It was the only way to explain why Ben insisted that she show an equal amount of love to Kylo just as she had to him. He was still afraid of her rejecting him when she found out he was both, and it made him cling to her with abandon.

Rey never wanted to let go. This was the silent sense of longing, the need for love that she recognized within herself that had been frustrated for so long by Ben and his distance from her, and to see it mirrored back made her warm with hope.  _ She _ had the capability to show him, to give him every ounce of love and acceptance he craved, and she wanted to give it all to him.

“I’ve missed you, Kylo,” she cooed before kissing him. 

His whole body seemed to shudder at that statement, as though he were relieved to be missed. 

The kiss was slow and unhurried, savoring every part of him she could reach. He didn’t make any noises, seemingly sighing quietly, content that she was there. He let her taste and explore until she pulled back to breathe, and she did her best to worship his body. 

She kissed him repeatedly until she sucked on his tongue, wanting him to enjoy himself as well. At that, he returned the kiss with equal passion. Eventually, her tongue pressed the edges of his skin into her mouth, sucking on each inch of skin and ridge she found. He let her take control for that, curious more than anything to see why she did it. As she lost herself in him, her mind whirled, wondering why he would wait so long to tell her about his secret, why he was so afraid of rejection. 

When she had tasted the entire circumference of his mouth, she disconnected their mouths, grinning warmly.

“Kylo, I know you have trouble believing it, but you’re very important to me. I care about you a lot,” she said, kissing all the skin around his eyes and mouth as she tried to reassure him of her feelings. “You might even be tricked into thinking the only reason I could care for you is because I was ordered to, or because I could only want you if you were filling me everywhere.”

Pulling back, she met his scared eyes, heartbeat racing. “But that’s not true." She kissed him again as his whole face lit up. "I’ve cared about you for a long time now.”

He whimpered, letting go of her arms. As soon as he did, she cradled his head, resting her forehead against his. As her pulse returned to normal, she continued to hold him, wanting to show him that it wasn’t just about the physical, even if she did love it. 

They could just be. Just like that. Two lost and lonely souls who had finally found their belonging. 

When she put a couple inches between their heads, her hands still keeping him close, his eyes became softer, and they reminded her of Ben’s so much that it hurt. This was another side of Ben, and she loved it just as much. 

She wanted him to know that he could trust her with the truth, that she would love him no matter what.

She just wanted honesty, no more secrets. 

Holding his gaze, she said, “Kylo, I know it seems impossible, but I love you. Just as you are.”

His eyes widened comically, and they didn’t stop doing that until she had smothered every inch of his neck in kisses. In between kisses, she told him of some of the things she imagined them doing together.

“I’ll get my scuba license. We can explore every ocean together and find all sorts of new species. Just the two of us.” He chittered in excitement, and she continued. “There are so many places in the world I’ve longed to see. I want to see them all with you; I know you’ll keep me safe,” she said before kissing the top of his head. “I trust you implicitly. I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth.”

By the time she finished, he was purring loudly, his grip on her becoming possessive in its tightness. 

She loved it. 

“Yes, Kylo. Hold me. It’s enough, just to be here with you,” she said, meeting his eyes again. Leaning in for another kiss, she said, “You’re not a monster. You’re just as deserving of love because you are enough. All on your own.” After kissing him again, she said, voice thick with emotion, “I love you, Kylo.” 

Whimpering, he kissed her and brought them both toward the shore. As soon as the water got too shallow for him, Rey picked him up again, him still wrapped around her securely, as though he were super-glued to her. She sat in the dry sand closest to the lapping waves, and he sat in her lap. 

His bottom straddled her legs at first, but the longer they remained there with her kissing every part of his head she could reach, the more he traveled up her body, until his opening was just below her breasts. Feeling his wet suckers and warm ridges vibrate against her was the sweetest torture she had ever felt. She wanted nothing more than to place his tentacles inside her, where she was quickly becoming wetter and wetter. 

However, this was about him. When he was ready, she would beg him to bury his cock inside her and ravage her with it.

Until then, she leaned back on her elbows a little to adjust for the change in center of gravity. Luckily, at that level they could kiss, which they did, trying to convey every feeling of love and devotion she felt for him with her kisses. He returned them with equal fervor. The more they kissed, the louder they both became. Her legs had been spread out in the sand, but after several kisses, her knees lifted and met as her thighs clenched around nothing, turned on by the intimacy they shared. It didn’t help that his grip on her loosened as he began massaging her body all over. 

She was willing to delude herself into thinking he was massaging her because his body was just as shaky and desirous of the acceptance as hers, at least until his tongue found the back of her throat with a possessive growl. It was though he wanted to claim her, and she wanted him to. 

When she groaned and pressed her thighs together, sandwiching his tentacles, the tip of one slithered up her thigh, and she spread her legs as far as she could, silently hoping he wanted to taste or fill her.

He did. The tentacle traveled higher, until it was sliding along her seam. At finding her soaked, he growled.

“Kylo,  _ please, _ ” she begged with her mouth full, one hand leaving the sand to guide him where she wanted him. 

After rubbing his tip, she smeared his mating couplant over both her holes, relishing the relaxation of muscles and the feel of his tip on her skin. As she continued to circle her skin with his tentacle, he stopped kissing her. 

At first, she was sad, but then she felt his bottom move upward, until she could feel him suctioning to the bottom of her breasts. She squeaked when she felt his monster cock slide between her breasts, pushing them apart, giving her the best view of his massive length, tip wet and weeping for her already. 

She licked her lips unconsciously, and the tip of his cock found one of her pink, pebbled peaks, engulfing it entirely. As Rey threw her head back, her right nipple swallowed in soft warmth, she guided a tentacle into her ass, wanting more stimulation. Kylo hummed his approval, using small, steady pumps to fill her ass completely while working on her nipple. When he unlatched from her nipple, it was red, engorged, and covered in lubricant. Rey let him do the same to her other nipple, and he added a tentacle to her pussy, thrusting in and out of her with long, sawing motions that let her feel every inch of his ridges against her sensitive walls. Closing her eyes from the sheer pleasure, she rocked in time with his movements, growing louder and faster until she was near her peak. Another tentacle sucker found her clit, and she was lost, screaming Kylo’s name with abandon.

She barely had time to breathe, though, before his cock lengthed and went to her lips. As soon as she parted them, more of his lubricant spurted into her mouth, and she drank it eagerly, knowing he was trying to prepare her whole body for what came next. His tentacle gathered her cum from her entrance, and he growled when he sucked on it, allowing them to taste one another. When she seemed to drink enough, he pulled away, his body and cock sliding downward, leaving a wide, sticky trail of white across her abdomen as he sought the true home for his cock. 

When it was positioned over her pussy, Rey leaned back further and removed the tentacle still inside her ass, wanting to give him as much space as possible. He made a huffy noise but made no other comment as he held her legs apart and entered her, determined to be fully sheathed within her for the first time. 

“I’m ready, Kylo. I practiced last night just for you,” she said huskily, and she moaned as his flared head began to stretch her walls. “Yes, just like that. Nice and slow.” 

She groaned as she felt his cock twitch, and not long after, she felt his heated lubricant ooze out of her core, soothing her. Sighing, she felt herself able to stretch out a little more as she adjusted to his size, and he inched inside her until his flared head was fully inside her.

Just like the day before, he vibrated inside her, and her inner muscles loosened, loving the way the ridges on his cock added another level to her satisfaction. When she felt she was ready, she rolled her hips gently, taking him a little deeper. Kylo turned red everywhere as he made a little joyful noise and dribbled more inside her to ease his way in. Just as earlier, it was slow progress for him, but it was worth it. Rey loved watching how he slid inside her, each shallow insertion allowing her to feel the ridges of him somewhere new. Sometimes she would watch his face, a dark, golden look to his eyes as he focused entirely on the way her body accepted him.

Just like the night before, the deeper he went in, the slower the movements. Unlike then, his lubricant alleviated some of the immediate pain from the stretch, and she was grateful because he was bigger than the tentacle dildo. When his tip reached an area beyond what the dildo had, she sighed in relief and lay back.

“We’re doing so well, Kylo.” Her hands found his length and traced the raised circles of his ridges amid whines from Kylo before gripping him firmly. “I’m not sure how much further you can go, but I want to find out.” 

Two tentacles went to her breasts, his suckers finding her nipples and pinching them. The intense pang of pleasure pain jolted through her, and her hips jerked, taking him in a little more before resting to adjust to his size. With more sharp kisses to her skin, they created a rhythm of insertion and adjustment, each movement punctuated by little moans from Rey and growls from Kylo as she spurred him on. 

“Ah! That’s it,” she groaned, holding him in place and leaning up with a wide grin on her face. “That’s as far as your tentacles have ever gone. We did it.” 

She thought he would chitter with happiness, but instead he made a grunting noise and slid in another quarter-inch. Rey’s back arched as she made an animal noise of satisfaction, and Kylo chittered, satisfied that his cock was now thoroughly buried inside her and had gone the deepest. Her tight walls clenched harder around him at the intrusion, and she felt him swell as new liquid rushed inside, making the squeeze even tighter. She had never felt as though he were splitting her in two more as he did in that moment.

“So full,” she croaked, leaning her head back and breathing heavily.

For a time, she simply lay there, letting her body become used to his size as his cock pulsed within her, his girth decreasing as he leaked more fluid within her to help. When he made a whimpering sound, she lifted up slightly and smiled warmly at him. 

His eyes looked so worried, and she hated it. “I wish you were closer, Kylo. I’d kiss you from how  _ perfect  _ I feel. I feared I wouldn’t be able to share this with you,” she confessed.

His bottom slid toward her, and she held him in place inside her, enjoying the odd moment he would tilt his cock as he moved. As soon as he was close enough, she sat up and kissed him, embracing the new angle he took inside her. She knew then she was ready for what they both wanted: both losing themselves in one another as he claimed her pussy entirely. 

As her lips parted, she whispered, “I’ve dreamed about this, Kylo. About us. You have  _ no  _ idea how much I want you.” She drew her hips back slightly and thrust forward, shocking him as she moaned and closed her eyes. “Yes. I’m ready.”

He growled possessively as his cock expanded again, experimentally pulling back and pushing back in. 

“Yes,” she encouraged, laying back and letting go of him, letting her arms fall to her side. Holding his gaze, she said, “Hold me down and make me yours, Kylo. Fuck me.”

His tentacles swept out around him, wrapping around her limbs and placing one at her lips and near her ass. Her whole body shuddered as his tip entered her ass and remained there, quivering as his suckers suctioned themselves to her, not trying to go further.

He understood that she wasn’t ready for him to be inside in both holes at once, but it didn’t stop him from making it as pleasurable for her as possible. It was one more thing that she loved about him.

As she heaved a breath, he pulled out several inches and slid back in, making her gasp in pleasure. The drag of his ridges all along her sensitive walls was exhilarating, and she couldn’t wait to feel more.

When he repeated the motion, she cried, “Yes! More. Harder.”

He thrust into her for longer lengths each time, and she grew wilder. She lifted her hips to meet him the further he pulled out, and her back kept on leaving the ground as he filled her, each thrust a little more powerful. When her cries grew too loud, a tentacle entered her mouth, and she sucked it in greedily and let it muffle her. There was something satisfying about bucking against his hold and knowing he would still give her what she wanted. 

She didn’t care if he left marks from his suckers all over her body; she’d wear them all proudly. 

When he moved so that only his tip remained inside her, she made a mournful noise, missing the fullness. He purred and slammed inside her, finally giving her the power and speed she wanted as he filled her to the brim. Soon, he was doing that repeatedly, taking the pleasure away and then giving it to her all over again at a grueling pace as he pistoned in and out of her. Even with the tentacle in her mouth, her cries still were audible, moaning and begging him for more. 

She jerked and cried as her body soared closer and closer to her peak. She grew perilously close when he pinched her nipples with his tentacles and buried himself inside her until she wasn’t sure where she ended and he started. They were one body, thrusting up and down as both cried out in pleasure. When she sucked on his tentacle harder as he withdrew, she saw his eyes darken, unlike the rest of his trembling, red body. 

He paused only for a moment, and then he pulled out fully, shocking her. Her whimpers quickly became moans as she saw his crimson cock glistening with their shared fluids, and her eyes snapped shut when he re-entered her, pounding into her until he was fully seated within her and trying to go deeper. 

Her whole body was on edge, needing to come, but he ignored her incoherent pleas, using the tentacles gripping her legs to lift her hips and pound into her vertically. Her eyes rolled back in pleasure as her toes curled after his first thrust, and when he felt her answering gush of wetness, he kept going, gradually increasing in speed. She felt his racing heartbeat through his feverish cock and quaking tentacles as he continued to pummel into her, and hers wasn’t much better. The heat within her was too much, only put out briefly whenever he was burrowed inside her, and her whole body was tense, coiling upon itself further and making it harder to move under the weight of the burning lust that threatened to consume her. 

Soon, both were hanging on by a thread. His thrusts were becoming more erratic, and when she raised her hips and used her knees to hold him inside, his cock swelled to the point that it was impossible for it to move. 

“Kylo,” she begged around a mouthful of tentacle. “Please. Fill me up.”

She ran her tongue along his tentacle, and his eyes widened as his tongue darted out, lengthening until it reached the point where they were joined. For a moment, he licked their combined fluids and growled, and then he found her clit. Twisting his cock, he circled her clit with his tongue, and she found her release, Kylo’s name filling the air as he emptied himself inside her with one last, powerful thrust. 

Her body surged up as her orgasm overtook her, ripping through her with a strength she didn’t know possible, leaving her panting and spent. Even Kylo looked smaller after filling her up so much, and it wasn’t long before he lowered himself onto her and let go of her everywhere, seemingly worn out by their activities as well. Both lay there, worn out, until their breathing evened and matched, and eventually she wrapped her arms around him.

“You were  _ incredible _ ,” she said, her body punctuating her words by producing new wetness. “I don’t, I can’t, wow.” She leaned toward him and nuzzled the top of his head. “You are  _ everything  _ that I ever wanted and more.”

He whined and slowly pulled out of her, and Rey missed him as soon as he was gone. All the same, her sore body and muscles seemed relieved as they contracted, and she settled for pressing him against her tighter. When he squirmed to go up her body, she used her legs and arms to assist him, until his mouth hovered above her breasts. She leaned in to kiss him, but he was more interested in her breasts, kissing and marking them both again. 

It was hard to explain, but there was such a bone-deep, primal need fulfilled when he claimed her as his. Her body  _ shouldn't _ be primed and ready all over again after such a ravagement of her pussy, but that was what love and Kylo's lubricant could do. 

When he pulled away, she guided a tentacle to her pussy, showing him how aroused she was. He eagerly filled her with one tentacle, and when he pulled that one out, he entered with a second. She didn’t understand until the soaked tentacles were brought to their mouths, and she grinned.

“I don’t know how I got so lucky to have you, but thank you,” she said, sucking and licking his tentacle like an ice cream cone. 

Both relished their combined taste, Rey groaning as sweet and salty came together, and when he repeated the motion with his two tentacles, she eagerly licked him clean. After that, she was finally satisfied, lying back. 

Kylo, however, was  _ not  _ satisfied. He moved her to her center, inserting his tongue inside her and licking her walls, devouring her slick, everything he could find. He thought he was done until her hips canted toward him, flooding his mouth with new wetness, and he gave her another orgasm before cleaning her legs. Only then did he climb back on top of her, and she hugged him close, boneless and satisfied. 

She tried to speak a couple times, to tell him that she already knew, but he always quieted her, whether with his stern eyes or a tentacle to her lips. She gave up after a while, determined to tell him later when both were human. 

There was no need to ruin the moment.

They lay like that for what felt like hours, and Rey didn't care. He seemed so peaceful there, cuddled around her and head just below her breasts. She didn't want or need anything else, just him. 

When the noon day sun beat down upon them overhead, Kylo reluctantly removed himself from her and headed into the ocean. She followed him in, kneeling down and kissing him one last time. 

"I wear your marks proudly," she whispered before standing up and heading back to her home. 

After a quick shower and change, she went to work, still without a bra. Her breasts were still sensitive from Kylo, and she walked a little off from her sore muscles. 

What she didn't understand as she saw Ben with damp hair and a tight shirt was why she was so ridiculously turned on at the sight of him after such a pounding from Kylo. 

That question, however, would remain unknown for the rest of the day, for as soon as Ben saw her, his face lit up. He ambled toward her and noted her awkward walk before picking her up at her waist and carrying her to his seat. 

Like every other time, Ben's touch left her heated and begging for more. Now she understood why, as it was still Kylo she was yearning to have buried inside her.

"Did you enjoy your time with Kylo?" he asked, brushing her bangs out of her face.

"I did. It was never better," she sighed, leaning into him and experiencing almost no guilt. 

"Good," he replied, carding his fingers through her wet, loose hair. "You never cease to amaze me."

As she tilted her head up, he captured her lips in a heated kiss, and it wasn't long before he was pushing her back against the table, sliding his fingers down her skirt and finding her wet. 

Hissing, he said, "Still wet for me."

"I always will be," she said, grinning in the shared knowledge and kissing him. "I love you."

His hard cock jutted against his pants and her stomach, and she was quick to unzip him and lead him to her entrance, wanting him to fill her emptiness.

"A quickie?" she asked as she inserted him inside her. 

"Please," he said, voice hoarse. "I need you."

"Not as much as I need you," she insisted, moaning when he was balls deep inside her pussy. 

Neither one lasted long that time, but neither cared. It was frenzied as they moved against one another, needing another hit of what only their union could provide. 

Their voices were strained as they whimpered out each other's name when they came, and when they were done, they stood there, resting against one another a little longer. 

Rey was mostly clutching onto Ben at that point, her knees having buckled when she came. However, he had caged her in against the table and kept her safe, and there was nowhere else she'd rather be.

When they sat down and worked, they brought Rey's blog online, and Ben was amazed all over again at all the little details and pictures she managed to include in the website. She showed him what she wanted to add next, and then she took some time to show him fancier underwater cameras for future work. 

After that, they worked together to feed the animals, neither one willing to move far away from the other. All the animals understood somehow, all quiet and obedient so that the two could cuddle afterward. They were both distracted, and all Rey wanted to do was sit in his lap and play with his hair. 

He let her as he wrapped his arms around her and kept her close, all work forgotten after that. They took breaks to make lunch and eat together, but otherwise, Rey enjoyed something that felt like domestic bliss. 

It shouldn't, but it did. Right before dinner, he only cemented that feeling more by pulling her over to his desk, showing her where he kept his paperwork and passwords for various things. 

"If anything should ever happen to me, I'll feel better knowing that you'll take care of everyone here for me in my absence. I've got the paperwork here: if I die, all of this goes to you," he said.

Her eyes widened, and she tried to protest, thinking also of her new knowledge. However, he put a finger to her lips.

"I know it's too soon, but I don't care. I trust you with my life." Kissing her, he added, "I love you."

"I love you, too," she said, kissing him back before her face grew serious. “But there’s something I think you should know-”

“Tell me tomorrow,” he said, a wave of sadness blinking through his eyes. “We have lots to discuss tomorrow.”

She bit her lip. “But I think you’ll want to know this-”

“No, not right now. Today is special for me,” he interrupted with a croak. “For now, I just want to be … with you.”

She sighed, thinking it couldn’t hurt to wait to tell him that she knew his secret already. Clearly he was worried about it, even if he didn’t have to be. The pleading look on his face said that he truly wanted to just enjoy the moment, so she let it go, entangling her fingers in his hair and holding him close. 

It wasn’t as though he would just disappear since he loved her and had this lab. She couldn't imagine why he would disappear, nor did she want to imagine what her life would be like without him. 

It would be dark, cold, and meaningless. Empty, and not just because they wouldn't be having sex anymore. After finding someone who truly saw and understood her, the thought of going without him scared her. 

Dinner was quiet that night, and then they retired to his bedroom. Rey didn't bother stripping out of her clothes since she was still sensitive below, and he never questioned it, as she hoped. 

Because he knew full well why she didn't want more sex: because he had filled her with his monster cock and pummeled her pussy into submission. 

She was more than content to continue cuddling with him, enjoying the quiet peace surrounding them as they fell asleep, spooning together. 

It was the calm before the storm. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what's good about the delay in posting this chapter? You don't have to wait as long for the next one, which will have an appearance from PLOT *le gasp*. Look for updated tags coming your way with the next chapter! We are very close to the end now.


	14. The Full Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben tells Rey the truth, and then plot happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Sorry about the delay, but work and vacation happened. I wanted to give you a really good chapter for this one since it is big. Also, tags were updated, so mind the tags!
> 
> Many thanks to [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl) for the beta read, and to 
> 
> [WinglessOne](WinglessOne) for the amazing as always moodboard!

"Rey, wake up."

Hands danced across her cheeks and down her neck, stopping at her shoulders. She leaned into the warmth.

"Mm, not yet. This is nice."

Heated lips started at her neck and made their way up, each kiss sloppier than the last. Rey tried to focus on the satin sheets and enjoy the bed, but he was too distracting. Before long, her eyes fluttered open as the rest of her came awake, legs pressing together as the light was eclipsed by Ben as he leaned above her. 

His cheeks dimpled. "Hi."

Her smile put the sun to shame in her excitement to have him stay with her again. "Good morning, Ben." Her hands traced his cheekbones. "Will you wake me up like that every day?"

"I could be convinced," he said mischievously, pulling her out of bed. "Hungry?"

"Famished, but I was hoping to start with you after all those kisses," she said, sliding her arms around his neck as he picked her up, a slight tremor going through his body. 

He looked away nervously. "We have all day for that." As Rey's body went on edge, surprised he didn't want sex, she saw the determined look on his face, a grim set to his jaw. "Let's eat first," he said, walking them toward the kitchen.

He  _ never  _ suggested food first. Something was up. Despite the fact that they didn't have an official routine yet since their relationship was so new, she knew their mornings never went like this. He was acting differently. 

He wanted to stay with her. He wasn't trying to push her off onto Kylo for once.

"If you're sure-"

"I am," he insisted, looking ahead. 

Something was wrong, but he didn't want to talk about it yet. It was so different from the day before, and it unsettled her. They ate in an awkward silence until the end. She glanced up when she finished eating and said, "This is different."

His back stiffened. "It is."

When he was done, they fed their animals, all still in silence. It was becoming unnerving, and Ben was growing paler and shakier by the minute. 

He wanted to tell her something, and she had a feeling she knew what it was. It was the only thing that explained the sudden change. It was a long time coming. 

"Ben, what's wrong?" she asked, stopping him after feeding Artoo and Threepio. "You seem nervous."

"I am," he admitted, running a hand along the back of his neck.

"Why?"

"Because you've been here a month," he said as her eyes lit up. "I want to tell you the truth."

She pulled him over to the kitchen table and dragged a chair to sit next to him. "The full truth. I want to know."

"My assistant." He paused dramatically. "When I last heard from him, my assistant had married his girlfriend, the girl who used to deliver groceries here. They're settled in a small town by the gulf. Here's a picture of them," said Ben, showing Rey a picture printed from his email. 

The photo showed a couple toasting the camera, dressed in white. The two looked happy and in love, and Rey didn't understand until she saw the date watermarked on the photo: two days ago. His assistant was  _ very _ much alive. 

There went all credence that she might have given to Snoke once upon a time.

"I'm happy for them, but why are you showing me this?" she asked, pushing the photo back. "What does it mean?"

"It means he walked away. You can, too, if you ever wanted to. I wouldn't hold it against you," he said as he stood, moving in front of her. "I want you to be happy."

Nerves twisted in her stomach. He sounded so resigned to his fate of being alone. When she tried to stand up, his hands kept her down. 

She gave him a pleading look. "I don't understand."

"I want to show you why my last assistant left," he said, cupping her face with a shaky hand. "It was purely by chance. I scared him, and I helped him find a quiet place to live in anonymity, away from anyone who might try to hurt him to gain the knowledge he had."

Her whole body tensed, not liking how he talked. He had mentioned disappearing the day before; was this related? "Why would someone hurt you or him?"

All emotion left his face and voice. "Because of what I truly am."

He stripped out of his clothes, and Rey watched in fascination as his hands gripped his chair and the table before grunting. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply, and his body transformed before her, his two human legs darkening and thickening, the fine hairs there turning into ridges while suckers grew along the backside of his tentacles. 

Her breath caught when his waist also became black as the bottom of Kylo appeared, four more tentacles growing from there, the tentacles dangling in midair as his strong forearms held him up. 

Then he opened his eyes and held her startled gaze. 

"As you can see, Rey, I'm not like other men." A spark of satisfaction ran through Rey at knowing she was right about him. She listened attentively as he explained everything. "All my family is like this, able to shift between human and a sea creature. We've been hunted before because we're so unique. Kidnapped. Tortured."

Suddenly, the idea of him being taken seemed more possible, and it scared her. The thought of losing him was unconscionable, especially now that she finally knew the truth.

When she continued to stare, he called to her.

"Rey, breathe. Say something."

She looked him up and down and forced herself to breathe. When she met his eyes, she stood, stepping gingerly toward him.

"May I?" she asked, barely above a whisper as her hands reached out.

He nodded. "Please. Tell me I'm not a monster."

Her heart beat wildly before it broke a little, seeing the pain and fear in his eyes. One hand caressed his cheek, and the other a tentacle as he held his breath. 

He truly was Ben and Kylo. There was a small part of her that was overjoyed and relieved, that she would never have to choose between them. 

"You're  _ not _ a monster," she said, a smile filling her face as she grew more confident. She lifted up one tentacle and wrapped it around her waist. "You're Ben  _ and _ Kylo."

He exhaled shakily, relaxing slightly. "So you're not afraid of me?"

Annoyance stung her, and he felt her body tense. He let go of her as she took a step back.

"No, I'm not. Why should I be when I've already told you I love you in both of your forms?" she asked, folding her arms. "Why don't you trust me?"

He looked away briefly. "Because others-"

Her voice rose in volume. "I'm not like them. When was I ever?"

"Never," he admitted before facing her. "But you could've been paid to come here and discover my secrets-"

"Of course, because I know so many people," she groused, stepping back. 

He gave her a look. "I saw you talk to plenty of people at the conference-"

"And yet you still asked me," she interrupted, lifting her chin. "Why?"

His whole body shook. "Because I've never felt such an immediate connection to someone else. I've wanted you ever since we first met."

"But you didn't act on it right away," she complained. "You held me at a distance-"

"Because I had just met you!" he shouted, transforming entirely into Kylo and climbing onto the table to stay near her height. "I've been rejected by every woman I've ever approached in this form; how was I supposed to know you were different?"

She was startled at hearing words tumble from Kylo's mouth. She pursed her lips, moving on to focus on the possibility he suggested. Trying a different tack, she said, "But I proved myself fairly quickly. I was interested in you-"

"In one half of me," he said darkly. "That's not the same. That was why I kept teasing and pushing you away."

Her eyes boggled as understanding dawned. Her voice rose two octaves. "So all this time, you kept teasing me, driving me insane with sexual frustration and making me feel more guilty than I've ever felt before, just so I'd go to Kylo?"

"Yes."

His voice was small, and yet, it still grated on her. That was when another thing hit her fully.

"You can talk in this form."

He nodded. "Yes. I've always been able to speak to you, but I'd give myself away-"

"But you had so many opportunities in the past week to tell me!" she screamed. "I was into you as Kylo. I showed my worry and frustration related to Kylo. Why not tell me then?"

His head lowered. "Because I was still afraid."

She wanted to shake him or do something else to him to show how frustrated she was. However, that wouldn't help them.

"I need to think," she announced, walking away. "I'll be back."

"Rey, wait-"

"I need to be  _ alone _ ," she said, stopping to stare at him intently. 

With that, she stormed from the lab into the humid, daytime air. After walking a mile down Atlantic Avenue, she felt a little better. Her ground-eating pace slowed, and she let her mind drift as she wandered aimlessly down the crowded sidewalk. 

With some distance, it was easier to see his point. If he'd been rejected so many times, it would make him hesitant and want to see her prove it. He probably had been waiting for her to admit her feelings for both parts of him before admitting the truth. Likewise, if his family had been injured before, he would be cautious of letting just anyone in.

But who at the conference would be suspicious?

She dismissed that question for later thought to focus on something else equally important, however loathe she was to admit it: they had only known each other a month.

It felt like she had known him her entire life. He understood her better than anyone, and he knew her body intimately. It had all happened so fast, but she didn't regret any of it. 

She only wished he had trusted her more. It would have saved so much heartache and confusion on her part, especially once he knew why she hesitated with him initially. 

However, knowing herself and how little she trusted others, she knew she couldn't blame him. He finally did trust her now, and she would explain to him why she was upset.

She doubted he had any concept of how much guilt she harbored over being with Kylo, nor of how frustrated she had been. She still didn't like that he had done that to her on purpose, but it had worked. 

When she stopped to take a breather, she realized she was at the entrance to the bandshell, Laskin Road behind her and the statue of Neptune further away. 

Just as she decided to go back and talk to him, she saw a familiar redhead appear from the public bathrooms facing the street. 

She knew him from the seafood market; they always shopped together.

"Hey!" she called, surprised to see a familiar face. 

He smiled like a cat that had caught the canary before waving her forward. "Hello. I haven't seen you at the market in a while."

He walked back toward the women's restrooms, and she followed, noticing him put away his phone. A chill breeze crept through her hair, and she shivered. 

When she was close, he pointed toward the tree-lined path next to the bathrooms. "It's quieter there," he said, and she nodded, not sure why it was needed.

He led her past a series of orange cones until the noise of the street was almost nothing.

"Better," he said, sticking out a hand. "I'm Hux, by the way."

She stared at his hand but did nothing. "Rey. Sorry, yeah, things came up that I didn't need all the seafood anymore. Did they ever get more crabs?" 

He nodded, a dark glint in his eyes. "Yes. Right after you stopped coming."

With an exasperated eye roll, she shrugged. "Figures." 

She looked toward the beach, and he reached out a hand, drawing her attention back to him. "Why did you need so much seafood? Was it all for you, or is there someone else?"

Her body tensed, not liking the personal question as she took a step back. "Someone else?"

"Or something else?" asked Hux with a knowing look, spreading out his fingers and wiggling them like Ben's tentacles had earlier. 

Rey's breath hitched, and suddenly it made sense why Hux was always there: he was following her. He was searching for Ben, possibly wanting to take him from her, or worse, hurt him. 

She took another unsteady step backward. "Something like what?"

Hux moved toward her, his look growing smug. "The usual things that love seafood, octopuses. They're fascinating creatures, aren't they?"

"I suppose you perform 'research' on them," she returned distastefully. 

She had never felt such a strong desire to run away, and yet, she wanted to stay, if only to try to redirect Hux away from Ben.

"Among other things, and that's part of why I wanted to chat with you. You buy similar items as me for my subjects. Have you seen any new species of octopus since coming to the area?" he asked.

She still didn't feel comfortable near him, so she took another step backward, until she stepped onto the orange cones. 

"No, not that it's any of your business-"

A thin, bony hand clasped her shoulder from behind. "I  _ make  _ it my business."

She shrieked when she recognized Snoke's gravelly voice. Whirling to face him, she demanded, "What are you doing here?"

"My assistant and I were just about to go for lunch, and then he told me you were close by. I couldn't resist saying hello and checking on you," he said, words syrupy sweet even as his eyes darkened. "How are you enjoying your new job?"

"I love it," she replied, backing out of his reach. Hux stepped toward her, and she felt trapped. 

Her mind grasped at ways to escape until she remembered the cones at her feet. 

"Good. Still interested in working for me?" he asked. "Or is your new pet octopus claiming all your loyalty?"

Her body stiffened, and she jerked her head up. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, but I think you do," said Snoke, grinning malevolently. 

"The only reason that Solo could be so rich was if he found a new breed of octopus," explained Hux, trying to sound reasonable. "We know you're feeding it, and we just want to see it. Help us, and we can help you." When she glared at him, he made eye contact with Snoke. Some sort of silent decision was made, and his fake smile vanished. "His last assistant disappeared mysteriously. We know his whereabouts; we  _ could _ interrogate him."

Icy fear gripped her, and the desire to return to Ben had never been stronger. She had to protect him from the monsters around her.

"Then you should!" she shot back, hands fisting at her side. "I know nothing."

"Don't lie to us, girl. You don't want to cross us," warned Snoke. 

As he moved in closer, she bent down to tie her shoe that just happened to be on top of the cone.

She froze when he whispered, "We can make  _ you  _ disappear just as fast as your boss did with his last assistant. If you help us at least, you could live. I can make you famous. Rich beyond your wildest dreams. All you have to do is give me access."

"Why should I help you?" she asked, stalling for time as she concocted a plan.

"My mentor, a great man named Palpatine, went crazy in his later years. He kept insisting there was a special breed of octopus that could change into a human. Everyone thought him crazy … except me."

"I'm just in it for the money. Take us to this special octopus," demanded Hux, closing the distance between them. 

She stepped off the cone as adrenaline pumped through her veins, the need to escape stronger than ever. 

"You're both crazy if you think I'm going to help you," she said, picking up the cone. 

"I don't need you; I'll trap and tame him myself," intoned Snoke, flexing his ancient, bony fingers.

"Never!" she cried, butting Snoke in the stomach with the cone. 

As soon as he fell backward, she turned around and whacked Hux's head with the cone.

"You'll regret this! I'll capture him, and I'll make you watch as I destroy him. Right before you  _ die,"  _ threatened Snoke as she sprinted home. 

It took some time for them to recover and follow, but they did, calling her name. Luckily, she was a fast runner and made it inside the lab with time to spare. 

Ben was back in his human form, head down and moping next to Artoo and Threepio in their habitats when she charged into the place. 

"Ben!"

His head darted up, relief in his eyes as he stood up and ran toward her, his arms reaching for her. "Rey. You came back."

She threw herself at him, never happier to be in his arms as they met near one of the tables in the center of the large room. "Of course I came back, you idiot. I love you." As she burrowed herself against him, she didn't see the way his whole face and body changed, his joy and relief turning into something resolute. "I just needed to let out some steam so I didn't blow up at you."

"Then why do you look like you've been chased?" he asked, worried as he sniffed around her. "Or had other men nearby?"

She furrowed her eyebrows, amazed he could smell them. "Because I was being chased by Snoke and one of his henchmen," she admitted, looking up. "Snoke mentioned a guy named Palpatine-"

Ben hissed. "He knows?"

"Snoke suspects you, and I fear they'll come here. We need to go," she said, hugging him. She didn't want to be separated from him, but it would be worth it to keep him alive. "I need to hide you and keep you safe."

"It's not needed," he said, stroking her hair tenderly.

She met his eyes with her fiery ones. "Yes, it is. I  _ refuse _ to lose you, especially now that we can be together with no secrets." Cupping his face, she suggested, "We could go into the ocean. You've given me oxygen underwater before as Kylo; I can stay there indefinitely with you."

"No. Let them come," he said with certainty, holding her close. "I refuse to live in fear anymore. I want a real life, with you."

Her eyes grew soft, and his lips captured hers, his desperate, animal kiss revealing every ounce of nerves, fear, and unwavering love.

"I won't go down without a fight." As soon as someone knocked on the door, Ben hid her behind him and straightened himself, eyeing the intruders. "Come in."

As a shaft of sunlight pierced the fluorescent light flooding the laboratory, a warm breeze ruffled the papers on the table next to the couple, sending the papers tumbling onto and across the floor.

Snoke stomped into the lab, his heavy steps echoing on the tile, Hux flanking him to his right. Both had matching faces of determination, and they had a stare-down with Ben across the wide room. Rey thought that all the men needed was a cowboy hat and a gun to make it feel like an old-fashioned duel.

"Ah, Solo. Good to see you again. You know why I'm here," said Snoke, approaching them. "You're coming with me. It took me a while to find those records of your father marrying a Skywalker."

Rey saw Ben's hands clench. "If you're smart, you'll leave and forget you know anything," said Ben, stepping forward.

"If you want your girlfriend to live, you'll come with me," threatened Snoke. 

Ben let go of her, and she clung to his back, not having seen his jaw twitch in fury. "Ben, no! Don't listen to him!"

He turned his head to face her. "I know what I have to do."

"I won't let you," she insisted, refusing to let go. "I'm not worth it. I'm nothing-"

"You are  _ everything  _ to me," he stated, kissing her. "Move away."

"Ben-"

"Let go," he said through grit teeth as the other two circled their prey. "Please."

There was something dark in his eyes that she didn't quite understand, so she let go. His shoulders relaxed before he threw up his hands in surrender and approached Snoke. Hux went closer to her, and she gave him a death glare to not come closer, which Hux respected after the way she had hit him earlier.

"I'm glad you're more reasonable than the rest of your family," said Snoke, his beady eyes assessing Ben as Ben drew within arm's length of him. "I'm going to have to kill her anyway-"

"I thought we were just going to take him and get rich!" cried Hux, moving away from Rey. "I didn't sign up for jail time."

"She knows too much, just as the other assistant does. That's why they  _ both  _ must die," said Snoke. "She'll free him, just like his idiot grandmother did."

" _ Never  _ insult my family," warned Ben.

"If I had the chance, I'd slowly kill them as I study them, just as I will you." He brought his spindly hands to arrest Ben. "I'm going to enjoy this."

"I'm going to enjoy this more; I'm glad you're so trusting," replied Ben with a grin.

Snoke did a double-take and watched in horror as Ben's canines lengthened before Ben bit him, injecting him with the deadly saliva he used to hunt his meals. 

Rey watched as Snoke froze, paralyzed by the venom, before he fell with a dull thump to the floor. Even there, his arms remained bent in place, the venom having already entered his bloodstream and taken over. Rey didn't even like the evil creep, and she felt bad for him, his red-rimmed eyes still tracking his prize until he became lifeless. 

Within moments, Snoke was dead. When she withdrew her gaze from Snoke's haunting visage and Ben's triumphant look, she saw the pale face of Hux as he realized what a terrible mistake he had made in following the crazy man. Rey used Hux's distraction to punch him in the nose, sending him flying to the ground. 

"That felt good," she said, smiling when Ben came back to her and hugged her.

"I'm so proud of you," he said, ruffling her hair. "Shall I give this guy nightmares?"

She nodded, and Ben bent over Hux as he regained consciousness. As soon as Hux's eyes opened, Ben transformed quickly, his clothing shredding into nothingness as his angry, black tentacles grew out from his arms and legs before the other four appeared, all lifting up as his chest and head turned into an octopus. For a second, Hux squeaked, and then he became deathly quiet as all the tentacles held him down.

Ben's head dipped lower. "If you don't want to suffer the same fate as your boss, you will leave and  _ never _ come back. If either of us ever see you again, I'll hunt you down, and I'll end you," threatened Ben, his yellow eyes harsh.

Hux shook and cried, "I understand! I'm going! I'll leave marine research entirely."

"Good. Open the door, Rey," commanded Ben.

As soon as she did so, Ben picked up Hux by his waist and around his two legs before flinging him toward the door. 

"Take your boss with you," growled Ben before changing back into a human and standing over Hux. "Go."

Hux dragged Snoke out, and as soon as the two were gone, Ben and Rey let out a sigh of relief before running into each other’s arms. 

"You're safe," she said, running her hands along his bare shoulders and chest before leaning into him. 

"Of course I am. I was more worried about you. I wasn't sure if they had a weapon," he said, embracing her tightly and burying himself in her neck. "The thought of losing you was too much."

"I couldn't have lived with myself if anything happened to you," she confessed, kissing his hair. 

"I still can't believe you chose me over whatever Snoke offered you," said Ben, voice cracking.

She wanted to be mad that he would even consider that, but she knew that was his deep-seated fear speaking. She wanted to erase it from existence. 

"I never even considered it. Nothing would be worth it if you weren't beside me," she said quietly, nervous when she heard him make a choked sound. “I know it’s crazy to believe that since I’ve only been here a month, but it’s the truth.”

“It’s been the best month of my life,” he said. “Meeting you was the first bit of hope I’ve had in my lonely existence.”

She led him toward his bedroom so they could sit on the bed. As soon as he was seated, he pulled her into his lap, wanting her close. 

When she was settled, she looked up. “Why me, though? Why was I different?”

His palms met hers. “You were more interested in the lonely octopuses, and they told me they liked you. If they could trust you, then so could I. I was interested in you as soon as I saw you,” he said, kissing her cheek. 

“So was I,” she admitted, holding his gaze. “Had you not offered me a job, I probably would have invited you to go back to my hotel room with me. I was curious about Kylo from the start, and I got comfortable after I saw his...your eyes … even then, there was a familiar, human quality to them that I liked. When you held me and touched me with your tentacles, I couldn’t resist.”

The awed look in his eyes made her giggle.

When Ben got a hold of himself, he cupped her face and tipped it toward him, curiosity filling his features. “You took the news of me being Kylo really well. How?” He cleared his throat. “It was almost as though you already knew.”

She rolled her eyes. “I did.” She rubbed the remains of the last love bite she had left on him as he looked on in shock. “I’ve left a few of these on you in both forms, and every time, they show up in corresponding spots on the other. I didn’t make the connection at first, but then there were too many coincidences, especially when you put a tentacle inside me when you shouldn’t have been able to do that,” she explained.

Slowly his face went from gaping surprise to annoyance with himself to proud of her. “You’re truly brilliant. Not everyone would have noticed that,” he said, running his fingers through her hair. 

“Perhaps not, but I had a vested interest: I  _ wanted  _ it to be true so badly,” she confessed before leaning into his shoulder and wrapping her arms tightly around him. 

“Why?” he asked, one hand tracing soothing circles along the back of her neck and shoulder blades. “I don’t understand.”

She took a deep breath, hoping she was ready to explain. Looking up, she said, “I understand why you teased and frustrated me so much, to encourage me to get closer to Kylo. However, you have no  _ idea  _ how much guilt and frustration I felt. I was attracted to you from the start. Once you kissed me the first time, I started developing feelings for you. I was focused on  _ you. _ ”

He nodded and encouraged her to go on, kissing her cheek. 

“The more we talked and worked together, the harder I fell for you. I considered us almost a couple at that point. It didn’t help that I was more sexually frustrated than I’ve ever been in my whole life,” she said, shaking her head. “Then, when I started letting you touch me underwater, something was awakened within me. Everything changed.”

“Did it hurt you as much as it hurt me to leave you in the beginning days?” he asked, tracing every bit of skin he could find. “I hated doing it, but it seemed the normal response for a wild animal.”

“Yes. You leaving made me want you all the more," she said before bringing his left hand over her clothed breast and his right at the top edge of her pants. "When I started dreaming about your tentacles inside me, I wrote it off as fantasies and nothing more. Once you started touching my breasts and drawing close down below, though, I became confused. My body wanted Kylo, and the rest of me wanted Ben.”

“So you said no to me,” he mused, caressing her breast. “I tried to help.”

She sighed. “You did. I decided to try to ignore my body’s desire and date you. But even then, I still dreamed about Kylo. Got really hot and bothered. I felt like I was cheating on you.”

He paused his movements. “But you weren’t-”

“I know,” she said, cutting him off. “But imagine you’re me, not knowing that. How would feel if you seek emotional intimacy and love with one and have sex with someone else?”

His head bowed. “I didn’t think about it like that. I’m sorry.”

Her hand lifted his chin so she could kiss him. “Thank you. I just want you to understand why I was so frustrated with you earlier." Her contrite eyes communicated everything else, of how bad she felt for having to leave and making him despair. "Each day I went into the water and had sex of some sort with you, I felt another pang of guilt. I felt like I was cheating on you, and I wanted nothing more than to have sex with the human you, hoping that it would stop my desire for your tentacles.”

He grinned. “That didn’t work.”

She smiled ruefully. “Not at all. It only got more intense, especially once you began encouraging me to spend more time with Kylo.”

“You were trying to make me jealous, weren’t you?” he asked, circling a pebbled nipple through her thin shirt. “That one day, when you left my cum on your body?”

She grinned shamelessly. “Yes. I enjoyed every second of you doing that to my body, and I almost cleaned it off. But I wanted you to see it, just like your bite marks on my breasts.” 

“I’ve never been more aroused,” he said, finding the hem of her shirt and pulling it off to admire the latest marks he had left on her body from the day before. 

“That makes two of us,” she said, leaning in close and closing her eyes. “I like being claimed; it means you want me.”

“Desperately.” He nuzzled her hair as she lost herself in his presence.

She moved her head up. “And I enjoy leaving my mark on you in turn. I want  _ everyone  _ to know you’re mine and mine alone.”

He hummed in satisfaction. “One day, I’m going to permanently mark and claim you,” he said, making her perk up. He kissed her right shoulder and pulled her arm forward, working his way down her arm until he was midway between her elbow and shoulder. He stopped there and bit lightly before sucking it to soothe the skin. 

“How does that work for your kind?” she asked, turning slightly. 

He grinned. “All of my kind seek mates outside the water. It’s a rite of passage, to leave and navigate the world. That’s why Palpatine and Snoke know about us: my grandfather was captured by accident by Palpatine. The only reason he escaped was because Palpatine’s assistant, a woman named Padme, had compassion for him and released him.”

“That’s beautiful,” cooed Rey, smiling softly. “Did they end up mating together afterward?”

He nodded and kissed her arm again. “Yes. She received quite a shock when he turned into a human for the first time in front of her.”

Rey burst out into giggles at the image. Ben watched, a bright smile overtaking his face as warmth unfurled and filled him, her smiles and laughter healing his broken heart after thinking he lost her.

When she calmed down, he explained, “Our teeth are multi-purpose. Their main function is feeding, but they can also be used for survival, as you just saw. The final use is mating.” His teeth lengthened again, shorter than when he had bit Snoke. “If I bit into you right now, I’d inject some of me into you, bonding myself to you for life. Tradition is that you bite on the right arm, right where I've been nibbling already.”

Her eyes widened, and she leaned in. “What happens when we become bonded?”

An excited gleam entered his eyes. “We form a link between our minds. You’ll be able to hear everything I think, and the sex is even more intense, according to my family. They explained much about what to expect on land and how to prepare for sex. They insisted the bond is the best part; you feel  _ everything _ .” 

“Will you be able to hear and feel everything from me?” she asked, noting his wording as her whole body waited in anticipation.

He paused, slightly afraid of her response. “No. I can only do that once you’ve bitten and claimed me, which you can’t do unless I turn you into one of my kind first.” He quickly added, "Of course you will be able to shift between human and creature once you're turned."

Rey's eyes lit up at that, and Ben stared at wonder at how well she took it all in and responded. 

“Is that it?” she asked, not concerned at all. “I can do that.”

He sighed. “I don’t think you understand the gravity of what that entails-”

“I think I do,” she said, touching a finger to his lips. “Instead of having to learn to scuba dive, I can follow you anywhere without a care. Instead of having two very different lifestyles and eating patterns, we will share one.” When his mouth gaped, she smiled broader. “Most importantly, it means I can be beside you always. I misspoke a moment ago. It’s not that I can do it, but that I already  _ want  _ to do it.”

Ben was speechless. Rey cuddled against him. "You shouldn’t be surprised. I love you, Ben. So, when are you going to claim me?”

He made a choking noise. "I haven't thought that far ahead. How have you?"

She shook her head. "What do you expect?"

"I thought you'd want to wait a little time or something," he admitted. "It's only been a month."

She narrowed her eyes at him. “If you can know, why can't I?" she asked. 

“I really need to examine my arguments better,” he said ruefully, making her laugh. “Still, you need to think long and hard about your friends and life outside of here.”

“You should,” she said, snuggling against his bare chest. She sat and thought for a few moments, his words sinking in. Huffing, she said, “I don’t want you to be right about this. I just want to be with you.”

“You will. You’ll always have me,” he promised, kissing her head. “But all of my life is in the ocean; yours is not.” Tilting her chin, he met her gaze. “Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to scoop you off of the beach one day and steal you away to the watery underworld and keep you there forever, like Hades did with Persephone.”

“But?” she prompted, eyeing him warily.

“But I care too much about you to do that to you,” he finished. “Your friends would get worried, and I don’t want to draw police attention to me.”

She nodded in understanding. “You’re right. That’s the last thing either of us wants.” Wanting a change of subject, she crawled off of him and interlaced her fingers with his before pulling him toward their pillows. She had many questions about him, his family, and her life going forward, but the life stuff could wait. They had their whole lifetime ahead. “Where does your family live?”

He sat in front of her as she placed a pillow on top of her crossed legs and hugged her legs to herself. He drew the thick comforter over himself.

“My family migrates every three months, enjoying different parts of the world. They’re currently in the Caribbean. My grandfather showed my grandmother the whole globe for their honeymoon, swimming everywhere. Ever since then, the family has traveled extensively.”

“I’d love to see the world,” sighed Rey, glancing away. “I’ve seen so little.”

He leaned in and kissed her. “I’ll show you everything. I promise. My family has some form of presence in key places so we can afford what we need.”

“Is that why you could build this lab?” she asked, motioning to the building. “Family wealth over time?”

“Yes,” he agreed. “My grandmother’s family was loaded, and we all work with marine life when we’re stranded on land.”

“I’m  _ definitely  _ buying a good underwater camera before we go exploring,” she said before her mouth dropped. “My blog!”

“It’s the perfect cover,” he said, moving to sit beside her. “Once you’ve got enough details set up for all the animals here, it’s only natural that we’d want to find more animals to document and show on the blog.” He blushed and suggested, “We could go to the Caribbean first.”

“I’d love to!” she cried, looping her arms around his neck excitedly. “That’s brilliant!”

“Once we have that cover, we can come and go from here as often as we please. Your friends will understand that you want to travel for work, right?” asked Ben, back stiffening.

She nodded, mind running ahead as ideas came to her. “They will. They all know how much I love seeing new places, and the most important ones already know I like you. I figure once six months has passed, we can tell them we’re engaged without anyone batting an eye.”

He grinned and pulled her back into his lap. “I’m glad you already have that figured out. And our marriage?”

“A year from now. We’ll go on a trip or two, and naturally you’d propose while we’re out traveling. I want a small wedding with minimum fuss and waiting time,” she said, already knowing what she wanted. 

“You make this too easy,” he said, turning her around so she straddled his hips. When his eyes met hers, they were misty and tender. “How did I get so lucky?”

“I ask myself that same question,” she replied softly. “I didn’t think things could get better than having you. Turns out I was wrong.” She nestled against him, wrapping her arms around him. “Having both of you is so much better. The best of both worlds.”

\--------

Ben stared down at the woman who had stolen his heart. She was so accepting of him just as he was, and there weren’t any words to show how grateful he was. He simply held her close, silently promising to never let go.

After a time, he said, “All I am is yours.”

“That’s all I want: you,” she said, kissing him. “So, when are you going to claim me and turn me? Please tell me we can do it before getting engaged or married.”

“When you’re ready,” he said, not wanting to choose a time. “Whether that’s tomorrow, next week, or a month from now, it doesn’t matter to me. I'll make you like me. You’re mine, and I’m yours.”

“It won’t be long,” she promised with a smirk. 

It was hard for him to remember a time when he had felt as though he were looking into a mirror, to see the devotion and love he felt reflected back at him in full. It lifted his spirits, left him feeling lighter than ever.

She truly wanted him. Her lack of fear blew his mind, and all he wanted was to never let go of her. 

He grinned. "Good. I'll be ready."

His body molded itself around her in response, and she grew excited. He understood now that she wasn't leaving, and she seemed relieved. 

"Finally."

"So, what do you want to do now?" he asked, sliding his arms around her. 

"Well, it is still work hours," she said, tilting her head toward the lab, "and I'd like to check on and update the blog. If it's going to be my cover, I want it to be good."

"Of course. You can show me everything, and then we can feed our friends. We should go out tonight and celebrate," he said, nudging her hair away from her ear to kiss the skin revealed.

"Can I choose the place tonight?" she asked with interest. "There's one I've been eyeing."

He raised one eyebrow, intrigued. "Do they have seafood?" 

"Doubtful. It's greasy food at its finest," she said before winking. "I want my strength tonight before you use that dildo on me again tonight."

His eyebrows shot to his hairline. "You want me to use it again?"

"Of course," she said, grinding down upon him. "When you fill me with your tentacle cock tomorrow, I want you filling me  _ everywhere _ . I couldn't take you in both places earlier, so I guess we have to practice tonight," she said with a mock shrug.

He tilted her head back and kissed her. "With pleasure."

They still didn't get out of bed after that, both content to kiss and cuddle. Ben couldn't stop running his hands through her loose hair and along her back, and she wouldn't let go of him, needing him to know without a shadow of a doubt that she wanted him.

He knew now, and he'd never let her go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Yes, I did up the chapter count 1 chapter, but it's all smut and HEA from here on out. Thanks for reading!


	15. Practice Makes Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rey and Ben talk and Rey comes to a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh a chapter on time! Let's hope the trend continues lol. Back to your regularly scheduled smut and HEA. 
> 
> As always, much love to [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl) for the beta read and to [WinglessOne](WinglessOne) who is a whiz with making amazing moodboards.

They stayed together in bed a little longer after that. Neither wanted to leave the comfort and safety of each other's arms.

"Practice does make perfect," he murmured softly into her hair. 

"It does, and I refuse to leave your side for a  _ very _ long time after yesterday and today," she said indignantly, poking his chest as he chuckled. "I'm being serious!"

"I couldn't be happier to hear it," he said, bringing her closer. 

"Do you have any idea how worried I was that you were going to disappear and leave me after what you said yesterday?" she asked accusingly, adjusting her position so that she straddled him properly. 

Her hands memorized every mole on his face and muscle on his chest. The need to stay connected to him, to always be touching him, was overwhelming. It counteracted the tight feeling in her chest that refused to let go, despite the danger being over. 

Ben couldn't drag his eyes away from hers, either, the dark whiskey color there soft and warm. He smiled at her question.

"You were afraid of losing me?" he asked, the pads of his thumbs finding her cheeks, sounding relieved. 

"Yes! I was seriously thinking that you were going to abandon me," she said, resting her face against his right shoulder and hugging him tightly. "I don't think I could bear that. Not now."

She had told him stories of her childhood, of how she had been abandoned, so he knew what that meant to her. It did him credit that he responded so quickly. 

"Never. Especially since Snoke is dead. He was the only reason I even considered it," he insisted before tilting her chin up. "I will  _ never  _ abandon you."

The tightness in her chest dissipated into warmth, and her heart fluttered with joy. When his eyes grew sad, she lunged forward, practically tackling him to the bed.

"What's wrong, Ben?"

He looked ashamed before meeting her eyes. "This entire month, I have considered every possible way you could reject or leave me," he admitted. His features grew troubled. "When you left this morning, I thought that was the end-"

Her index finger went to his plush lips, shushing him with an understanding, encouraging smile. "Never. It's only the beginning for  _ us. _ "

"Us?" he asked with uncertainty, his chest heaving faster as her hands wandered south. 

She hummed. "Yes. Us, the couple. With no more secrets. Just two people in love." 

Her right hand found him half-hard, and she palmed him until he was fully erect, their eyes never leaving the other. She knew his body just as well as he knew how to make hers sing, and her smile only grew as she watched his eyelids droop and gaze become hotter than the blistering sand outdoors. 

"You're crazy if you think I'm leaving you now," she said with a smile. "I'm never leaving you. You're everything I want and thought I could never have." Her voice became a whisper. "My dream."

His mouth darted up, stealing a kiss before his hands dipped inside her pants, finding her soaked. She grinned as his breath hitched.

"You're just as much my dream come true," he choked out, voice full of awe. "I need you."

"I need  _ you _ ," she responded, climbing on top of him and grinding against him. When he responded in kind, she pushed down her pants and sat up. "All of you." 

He tried to speak, but nothing came out except a needy whimper as his hips rose to greet hers.

Satisfied, she took the lead and lined him up with her opening, both sighing as he entered her wet heat.

"Ben and Kylo both. I'm yours," she groaned, toes curling as he filled her to the brim, holding him there and clenching around him. 

As he moaned in satisfaction, she tried to take it soft and slow, to savor the moment. But every time she raised herself up and swallowed him completely again, he grew louder, the look of longing in his eyes combining with his pleadings for more whipping her into a frenzy. 

Neither one could stop touching one another, both wanting and giving that reassurance that neither one was going to leave. They were rediscovering one another all over again, and both couldn't have been more excited to do so.

It felt new because it  _ was  _ new. The new knowledge made the bond between them stronger, and with it, their feelings. 

With each snap of her hips, their hands moved, grazing another inch of skin and leaving a blazing trail of desire in their wake. With every touch, Rey voiced her desire for him, knitting them closer together than ever before.

The heat and passion built between them with every kiss they shared and each moan that was wrung out of them. Rey wanted more than anything to show him that she was committed, and each thrust was punctuated with words as he bottomed out within her each time. 

"I can't get enough of you," she gasped. As she sheathed him once more, she grit out, "Just you." 

The truth of her words overcame her in that moment. There was no one else for her; she couldn't imagine a life without Ben. 

Then why shouldn't she show him in a bigger way?

Her thoughts went back to their earlier conversation about how he would eventually claim and mark her as his. Why wait? They both wanted it.

The adrenaline and excitement of the day could still be affecting her, so she decided to sleep on it. If she still felt sure, then she would ask him to mark her tomorrow, right before they finally had sex. 

All of their practicing with the dildo and other ways had been leading to that moment, when he filled her completely. She couldn't imagine anything more beautiful than him, half-Ben and half-Kylo - as he was meant to be and all hers - and talking to her, with voice and through a special bond. 

It was the best of both worlds, and she couldn't wait to share it with him. 

Sucking in a steadying breath, she pulled her mind out of the clouds and focused on Ben. In the way his hands gripped her bare thighs possessively, trying to hold her there. In the way he shook and had turned red all over, just like he did as Kylo. It was endearing.

She thrust again, seeing his rapid breaths and knowing he was close. "I want a life with you." He nodded, and she whispered more softly, "A full life." She pulled away from him entirely, stroking him and his balls. "I want  _ everything."  _ With one solid push, they were fully joined, and she leaned over to kiss him. "I want to be a part of your world."

"Always," he choked out before spilling inside her, burying his face in her neck. "Rey-"

"I love you," she whispered, touching her clit and falling over the edge. "So much."

As she collapsed on top of him, it was with the knowledge that it was all a matter of when he turned her into a sea creature like him, not if. She would get her life in order first, and then she would walk hand-in-hand with him into the ocean, and ask him to change her. 

All of it was so clearly laid out in her mind, and she grinned against his chest, wiggling when he kissed the top of her head and pulled out to clean her up. 

After both revelled in the afterglow for a time, they left the bedroom, determined to do some work. Upon seeing them, Artoo gripped the railing and pulled himself out of the water, showing his impatience for food. Both laughed and worked in tandem to take care of their animals, and Rey approached the troublemaker, petting him tenderly. 

"I'm sorry, Artoo. You must really hate me since I distract Ben so much from spending time with you and feeding you on time."

Ben's hands found the back of Artoo's head. "Not at all. You spoil him with extra food, so he always forgives you. He just likes to give us a hard time." That made her giggle. In her ear, he added, "Besides, he could never hate the person who makes me happiest and feel the most whole."

"Well, when you put it like that…"

\-------

Those duties complete, they ventured into Ben's office. There, Rey showed him how much cameras had evolved, and they ordered a good underwater one that seemed relatively easy to use. Ben was still amazed at how good the technology was.

When they checked Rey's blog, she was shocked that multiple people had commented on it. Ben wasn't.

"If people like you even a fraction of how much I do, then of course they'll look at the blog once for you. And they'll keep coming back because you format it so well," he complimented, kissing the side of her head.

Not only had people from her old lab commented, but people from the conference. Some even promised to share with their local elementary schools. Ben enjoyed watching her upload another set of photos and explanations before she scrolled through her photos for the upcoming days. 

"Would doing these types of articles be enough for you?" he asked, motioning to her scrupulous notes showing how each creature matured. 

"Yes, but I would like more variety in creatures," she admitted before closing the folder. "We can find so many more that will have easily measurable results."

Nodding, he said, "Name it, and we'll go swimming to find it."

Her face lit up, and he realized there was nothing more he wanted to do besides make her smile like that every day for the rest of his life. 

She turned to go back to work, but paused soon after. "That's not the only type I had in mind. I'd love to hatch some babies here. Take care of them. Watch them grow." She snuck a peek at him. "I love babies."

She couldn't mean what he thought she meant, right? That she could somehow know already and knew she wanted to have kids with him?

Hope made it hard to breathe, and he needed to know at once, before he got more excited than he already was. 

He saw her blush, and he turned her face fully. 

"Do you?"

She nodded, eyes soft. "I've always loved kids. I loved when they visited my old lab, and even more when I taught them."

His heart beat frantically, and he brushed his thumbs along her cheek. "Me too."

Her eyes lit up. "I'd like them very much. With you. Later on, when we're ready."

"I'll practice with you as much as you want," he said, earning a peal of laughter from her. 

She kissed his cheek. "Good. I was hoping so. How does that work, though, with you? Eggs?"

He shook his head. "No. We're like humans when it comes to reproduction. Just like we've done so far."

Satisfied, she turned around, and they eventually got back to work. When they finished, both changed into different clothes and headed outside. 

The sun was bright overhead as they walked the mile and a half to a tiny restaurant with a yellow awning called Dough Boys. Placed in the outside seating, they enjoyed people watching and discussing more about Ben's family and biology. Rey asked as many questions as she desired, and Ben had never been more grateful for her scientific curiosity. 

If there were any lingering doubts in his mind, her numerous questions set him at ease in the new restaurant.

As Rey said, the food was greasy, but both enjoyed the pizza they shared. It was odd for Ben to not eat seafood, but it was a nice change. 

On the way back, Rey insisted on getting a cone from the Ice Cream Hut, a tiny, white building with an ice cream cone on top. They shared a cone and chatted quietly until they got home, the sun starting to set. 

"Oh, the sunset looks like it's going to be breathtaking tonight," gushed Rey, pointing Ben toward the ocean.

"It does. Do you want to watch it together?" 

"Yes. Let's grab a blanket and enjoy the hot, humid air while we can," she said, heading inside with him.

Rey brought out a bundle of blankets, and Ben went shirtless, ready to cuddle with her. Their time on the beach reminded them both of their first time, right after Rey had agreed to work for him. 

They sat side-by-side on the beach towels, but that time, they shamelessly held hands. They chatted about nothing consequential, more interested in listening to the other and enjoying the sunset as bright yellows and oranges played with the clouds surrounding the sun. 

The lower the sun went, the closer Rey scooted to Ben, until she was sitting in his lap. There was no one around, and Rey was eternally grateful for it as she rubbed her ass against his groin, satisfied when she heard his quick intake of breath. 

Not long after, she felt his length stiffen underneath her, and she leaned back her head until it rested on his shoulder. 

"I'm not wearing a bra."

She smirked when his mouth gaped like a fish, his erection now at half-mast. She rocked against him more, both groaning when he slid his length along her crack. New moisture gathered between her legs, and she loved watching his enraptured eyes as they watched her nipples show through her thin tank top. 

"I want to suck them," he breathed. 

Exhaling loudly, she said, "You should." After turning to straddle his hips, she dragged his head down to let him suck on her breasts through her shirt. When his fully erect cock pressed against her folds, she moaned. 

"Did I mention I'm not wearing any underwear, either?"

"You're going to be the death of me," he groaned, tearing his mouth away from her breasts to lay her flat on the towel.

"It's not sunset yet-"

"I don't care. I want my dessert early," he said hungrily, his eyes boring into her, until it felt as though he were burning through all her clothes. She made a low whining noise in her throat as her hips bucked, and his eyes darkened. "Take off your shirt. Now."

She practically ripped it off of her in her rush. Anything to remove every barrier between them. He was of a similar mind, shucking his pants and briefs. As soon as her perky breasts were on display, he moved over her, sucking a taut nipple into his mouth as two fingers slid up her shorts and found her center.

"You're soaking for me," he murmured in awe before giving equal attention to the other breast. "I still can't believe it."

"You will when I'm calling you Kylo with that dildo buried inside me, begging you for more of your tentacles," she snarked, taking his fingers deeper.

"I want that more than anything," he panted, moving down her. "I want to devour you before I fill you up to bursting."

"I'm ready," she said breathlessly. 

He nodded and eased her pants off before diving in. Rey was distracted from watching the fading pinks and purples dance in the sky as Ben ate her out, the slick sound of his tongue entering her and lapping at her juices almost too much. Soon, he was moaning, picking up his pace when he realized she was close, and she gripped his hair tightly as she buried his face deeply within her as she came. 

While she was still recovering, he pulled back slightly and pressed slow, languid licks along her lower lips and thighs, cleaning her thoroughly. When he looked up, she crooked a finger and beckoned him closer. 

As soon as he was on top of her, she kissed him and placed his throbbing cock just inside her pussy. Both were eager for it, Ben driving into her with a soul-deep  _ need  _ to be connected to her. 

"I'll never get enough of you," she rasped, mewling when he was fully seated inside her. "You feel so good."

He couldn't agree more, as nothing was more perfect than her walls squeezing the life out of him. All the same, he felt bad that he couldn't give her more. "It's not the same," he insisted. 

He tried to say more, but she kissed him to shut him up. It was all the encouragement he needed to speed up, giving her the punishing pace she loved. Her body jolted with every thrust, and she begged him for more until she reached her orgasm, holding him there as he emptied himself inside her. 

"It still feels like your lubricant," she said, face blissed out as she faced a darkening, cloudless sky. 

"It is in my human form. Besides, I need you ready for later inside," he said, kissing her and getting up, still not exiting her. 

"Who said anything about going inside?" she asked, revealing the red and blue dildo from under more blankets. She felt his cock stir, and she grinned. "I want you to take me right here. On the beach. You promised we could watch the sunset together, and there's no better end."

"Here or in the water?" he asked, a new sense of urgency in his tone. 

Her eyes lit up. "The water. We haven't had sex at the water's edge today."

"Yet."

He reluctantly pulled out of her before carrying her off to the ocean, a tentacle-shaped dildo in hand.

With a full moon and a handful of stars to guide them, Ben laid her out, making sure to enter her in both holes to prepare them with more of his lubricant. With every pump inside her, her breathing sped up, and more wetness coated him until she seemed ready.

"We'll take it nice and slow," he promised. "Tell me if it hurts."

"Ben, do you realize how much you've stuffed inside me at this point?" she asked seriously, guiding the tip of the dildo inside her. "I can take it. I'm not fragile, and there's enough of you inside me that I can handle more."

"You are fearless; I love it," he said, lips quirking as he watched her legs jerk after feeling the waves on her toes. 

"Please," she begged, inching her hips closer to feel more inside her. 

He kissed the sensitive skin around her pussy, slowly inching the dildo inside her. Every keening sound and breathless word from her spurred him on, twisting and guiding the large toy until it was comfortably halfway inside her. At that, he stopped and checked her face. 

"How are you?" he asked nervously. "Still okay?"

"Never better," she replied, lifting her hips. "Snug but not anywhere close to bursting. I want your cock inside me."

"Getting ready early, I see. That's my favorite assistant, always thinking ahead," he said, tilting her hips up and tracing the edges of her ass with his tip. When she hummed at the lingering warmth, he slipped inside her and almost came then and there. 

"So tight," he grunted, staying there. When he thought he had a hold on his control, he sunk inside her deeper, resisting every desire to come the further he went. When he was fully seated inside her, both sighed in contentment. 

"I love it when you fill me like this. I figured you and this job would stretch me to my limits, but not in this way," she giggled. 

He chuckled. "No, I imagine not. But my family told me that if I wanted you to be able to handle all my tentacles, that I'd have to take it easy and work you up to it. They wanted me to learn from their mistakes."

"They were right," she agreed, making a pleased noise when he slipped the dildo in deeper. "Keep going."

"Going to fill you so good. You look so perfect spread out like this for me," he said, teasing her clit and watching more wetness cover the dildo. 

As he slid it in further, her legs hooked themselves over his shoulders and rutted against him and the dildo, each bit of new penetration driving her a little crazier with want. 

When it was three-quarters of the way inside her, Rey changed the angle of her head slightly to meet his gaze, something dark and delicious there.

He thrust shallowly within her, unable to hold back. She responded, "Yes. Please. More."

"Are you sure?" he asked, doing it again, more lubricant oozing from where they were joined.

"Oh yes." She closed her eyes and adjusted. "Again." He did it two more times, and she made a choked noise before chanting, "Yes. Oh yes. I can't, don't stop-"

He pulled all the way out from both holes before slamming in, and she let out a throaty groan.

"Rey, I love how loud and responsive you are, but we're liable to draw attention if you keep that up," he hissed, keeping up his breakneck pace inside her, continuing to pump her full of lubrication. 

He couldn't stop himself from burying himself inside her ass and seeking out the tight, wet comfort of her walls anymore than she could help enjoying it in turn. Her enjoyment only pushed him closer to the edge of his orgasm. 

"Then you should shut me up,  _ Kylo, _ " she said, drawing out his name.

He paused. When he saw the lust in her eyes, he couldn't help himself, withdrawing from within her ass, earning a shriek from her.

"If I remain inside you like that, you'll have two very large cocks inside you," he said, his bottom half transforming with four tentacles appearing below her, besides his legs and arms. "You're not ready for that...yet."

She whimpered. "Thank you, Kylo."

His blood burned at how his name rolled so easily off her tongue, how sensual and right it was. How happy she was to say it, and his body tensed, his animal instincts kicking in.

"Going to fill you everywhere. You want that, don't you?" he growled. 

"Yes-ah! Kylo! Yes," she cried as he entered her ass again, this time with a tentacle. "So good." When she felt his tip painting her walls as he plunged deeper, she could only call out his name repeatedly. 

He couldn't have been happier. As soon as he was fully inside her, he stopped a moment to enjoy how much tighter she felt around his tentacle, and then he began pistoning into her ass, unable to stop watching the way her chest heaved, her breasts bouncing with every thrust. Her hands were fisted and buried in the sand, eyes still closed so that her whole body came alive at his every movement, focused entirely on him.

On every snap of his hips. The sound of wet flesh slapping. His heavy panting and guttural voice as he repeated her name. The ways his nails bit into her hips, until both were sure he'd leave marks. Her hoarse voice as she begged him to go harder.

When she grew too loud, one of his tentacles traced her lips, and she opened eagerly to him, drinking in every bit of lubricant he would feed her. With each drop, her body crept ever closer to her peak, the fire within now an inferno, every inch of skin burning for his touch. 

"I need you," she panted, licking his suckers. "Everywhere. Want to feel you all over."

"With pleasure." 

He slid the tentacle at her lips against the rest of her body, suctioned to her breasts, stomach, and her neck. Then he burrowed into her mouth, her tongue finding every ridge.

She was so close. Her whole body was vibrating with pleasure, and he wanted to bring her to orgasm twice with his tentacles, just like he had as a full human. 

Two more tentacles went to her breasts, circling her hardened peaks before his suckers closed around them at the same time he pulled out and entered her ass fully, his fingers brushing against her clit.

Had her mouth not been full, he was sure her scream would've woken the dead with the way her body almost levitated off the ground at her orgasm. Her legs went from almost flat on the ground to knees fully bent as she tried to suck him and the dildo in deeper. 

She sucked the tentacle in her mouth harder as she squeezed the other inside her momentarily, milking him of every last ounce of lubricant he would give her. He couldn't tear his gaze from the way she gushed around the dildo, and he  _ yearned _ to lean over and taste her. 

\---------

Rey thought that her climax the day before with his tentacle cock inside her was the most intense one she had felt, but she quickly decided this one was the best. 

She couldn't wait to be proven wrong again. 

As her body finally calmed down, her knees spread apart more, her muscles relaxed at last. Watching his tongue lengthen, she felt aroused all over again as she watched him lick all around her clit and the dildo, capturing every last bit of her he could taste. She grinned when she saw the hungry glint in his eyes, how ready he was for more, just like her. 

"I think I'm ready," she said, mouth full. 

"I'm going to make you scream even more," he said, notching the dildo in with ease. 

Her chest rose expectantly, new liquid leaking past her folds. "Mm, Kylo-"

All his tentacles throbbed, and she hummed excitedly, unable to stop the rising tide within her. Her body was primed and ready, and when he looked at her with such lust and utter adoration, she was a goner. 

\---------

He couldn't get enough of his name on her lips. Pulling out of her mouth, he urged her, "Say it again. Say my name."

"Kylo," she said, running her hands along his human chest and a tentacle before kissing his tip. "My Kylo."

"All yours," he vowed before he ravaged her mouth. As her eyes closed, she made more animalistic sounds, her hips bucking against him insistently. "Let's fill you the rest of the way," he said, nudging the dildo into her until it barely showed outside of her. 

"Kylo!"

The tentacle inside her ass thrust into her again and again, unable to stop responding to his name on her lips. 

"Just a little more," he said, hands teasing her clit. "You're doing so well, Rey."

"Kylo," she whimpered, hips rising to meet his.

"Just keep saying my name, sweetheart," he coaxed, twisting the dildo inside her. 

When he saw her stop moving, he inserted the dildo the rest of the way. Her eyes shot open at the intrusion, but her face was radiant, relieved that it was fully swallowed by her, despite the additional tentacle. 

She let out a string of nonsense words as she lay contentedly, and Ben counted down from sixty before he traced along her weeping slit and pulled out of her mouth most of the way.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, massaging her lower lips. 

"Mm, Kylo, good. So full," she said, meeting his gaze. "Thank you."

"You can thank me after I make you come again," he said smugly. "I want to move both of these inside you."

Her eyes sparkled in the moonlight, voice breathy. "I'm ready."

Her body was golden and beautiful under the pale moonlight. There was a sheen of sweat covering her face and what little of her chest that was showing, and she had never been happier, even with tentacles surrounding her. 

If Ben had to go that night, it would be as a satisfied man. Everything he had ever wanted and dreamed was there in Rey, her smile, open arms, and wide legs the greatest signs of acceptance he had ever known. 

"I love you."

"I love you, too," she said, softly, kissing his tentacle. "Now ruin me, Kylo. Make me ache all over."

He started with the fake tentacle, pulling it out a little as a test before entering her. When she responded well, he took it out further, moving more with every thrust until he had it out most of the way. 

When her moans of his name became too loud, he tunneled into her mouth, ready to make it his home. Once he was settled, he retracted the tentacle within her ass, making her cry out at the loss of him. She made high-pitched noises around him until he inserted both tentacles inside her at once, his other two tentacles wrapping themselves around her, surrounding her completely. 

\-------

Rey wasn't sure what she had expected to feel when he was filling her in both holes, but it wasn't this. Just the large one had felt like heaven, but two? This was perfection. Nirvana. The initial slow drag of his ridges and the veins on the dildo seared her from the inside, marking her as his. With every longer, harder thrust, he etched himself further within her, claiming her whole being and soul with it. 

It was all too intense. Her body was winding, coiling up faster than it ever had before, completely overstimulated and needing more. She clawed at his tentacles, gripping them as a lifeline as he slammed into her repeatedly.

\--------

Her screams turned into broken syllables of his name as he moved faster, until her body was rising and jerking. Ben saw the telltale signs of her impending orgasm, and he removed the dildo at the same time as he sheathed himself in her ass. Her whole body spasmed, and she brokenly called his name, close to tears at how much she felt. He repeated the motion, but moved them in the opposite order, and Rey's eyes rolled back, her body flopping back.

"So close," she whimpered. "Please, Ben. I need your tentacles."

He didn't understand why it affected him so much, but it did. Holding the fake tentacle inside her, he thrust into her ass and mouth at the same that he found her clit. She flew apart under his touch, and she was gone, lost in paradise as desire and sensation overwhelmed her. 

"Ben!"

As soon as she cried out, he spurted inside her, overcome by the way she clenched around him and said his name. He found his bliss, and it was a high unlike anything he had ever known. 

He knew why: because she knew his secret now. She knew everything about him and still clung to him like he was the center of her life. 

As he came down from the high, he saw that she was still out of it. Once he pulled the dildo out of her, he lay on top of her, needing more contact between their bodies.

"Ben," she whispered, cupping his face when she could reach. "Wow. We are doing this every night."

He chuckled. "Whatever you desire." 

Now that he wasn't using his legs to support himself, one of them turned into a tentacle and entered her pussy, sliding in and out slowly and massaging her inner walls with his heated suckers. Rey smiled beatifically and kept on kissing him, long after her aftershocks were done. 

When he tried to pull out of her, she stopped him.

"Wait. Not yet. Just a little longer."

"We're a mess, and we're both exhausted. We've had a long day," he said.

She huffed before saying, "Then carry me into the ocean with you. We still haven't gone skinny dipping together in this form."

He grinned. "As you wish."

She hated it when he disconnected himself from her, almost as much as he did. When he was fully human, he picked her up and carried her into the water, both a little chilled by the salt water but enjoying it when they wrapped their arms around one another. 

When he let go of her, Rey finally got to swim with Ben in human form in the ocean. They splashed around, and Rey was amused at how awkward Ben was as he swam with only four limbs. 

"This is so weird for me," he grumbled.

"It's adorable," insisted Rey before kissing him. 

When she shivered from the cold, they left the ocean, dried off, and went home to bed. He spooned with her, hands connected and resting on her hip, and Rey had never been happier to be the little spoon, surrounded by Ben. 

"Good night, Rey," he said groggily in her ear. 

"Night, Ben. I love you."

And all was right at last. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!!


	16. Claimed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ben claims Rey, and Rey introduces Ben to all her friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Sorry for the delay in the new chapter. I ended up breaking several bones in my foot IRL, and because of that, I didn't have much time to write for a few weeks. I had surgery and family visiting, so between that and giving time for the beta to do her magic, here we are. The good news is that my foot is healing nicely, and I have a new chapter finally. It might take me a little longer to get the next chapter out, but I've got big plans for it. 
> 
> As always, huge thanks to [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl) for beta reading and to  
> [WinglessOne](WinglessOne) for the moodboard!

Early mornings with Rey always used to be Ben’s favorite time of the day.

Everything was fresh, new. When they first began having sex together, the afterglow once they’d climaxed, and her comfort level around him as she _always_ dragged him closer when they slept, was the best feeling on earth. 

She had been blissfully unaware of his other side, and she adored him. To be wanted like that was the greatest feeling he had ever known, at least until that morning.

Now, he could honestly say that this beat every other time with her. With the sun streaming in through the dark curtains, the sunlight painted her bare, tan arms and back with golden light, and she was a masterpiece of glowing skin and long, curling hair that he loved to tangle his fingers in.

She was cuddled against him, even if her grip bordered on possessive, as though afraid he would be taken from her. He woke up like that every morning for the past week or so, and he had never appreciated it more than now as she clung to him as though he were normal. He was anything but, and yet, she accepted and wanted him. Fiercely.

It humbled him. 

She had lost much in her hard life, and she valued everything she had and loved. He was starting to understand and appreciate just how much she did. He hadn’t expected her grip on him to be tighter after revealing himself to her, but it was. She had exceeded every expectation of his, and he let her snore softly until he had let her sleep in an extra hour.

After that, he was too excited to spend the day with her. He wanted to know what it was like to share a life with her, truly.

“Good morning, sweetheart.”

Like the last few mornings, he kissed her cheeks and face until she stirred, humming contentedly. He surrounded her in a cocoon of warmth before moving her on top of him, waking her up instantly. Where soft blinks were, now there were wide eyes and a broad smile that made the sun jealous.

“Ben.”

He wanted to wake up to that smile every day for as long as he lived. To that, and the way she wove her arms around him like a vine, showing him what he hoped to see one day when she asked to be changed into one of his kind.

He loved wrapping himself around her, and she had always enjoyed cuddling. But ever since getting used to Kylo’s embrace, she had taken to imitating him and his tentacles in her own way as she nuzzled against him, and he hoped that it was only a taste of what was to come when he changed her. She would be the perfect mate, doing everything naturally, and she would fit in well with his family since she had already adopted some of his mannerisms.

She said she wanted to be changed, and he feared that with every day that they spent together, it would become harder to say no to her desire to be changed. He still felt strongly that she should set up her life first, but her desire and enthusiasm were hard to resist. 

She leaned over, sticking her breasts in his face. “You look well-rested,” she commented, playing with tendrils of his curly hair.

“Best sleep ever,” he sighed, closing his eyes and nudging the soft, warm flesh presented to him with his cool nose. 

The slight touch of skin-on-skin made Rey shiver, her legs circling his midsection tightly before leaning against him. Ben was lost in her scent, something fruity mixed in with his shampoo and her unique musk. As his nose traveled further south, he could smell more of his body odor on her, their smell commingling to create something new and even better.

Just as their combined taste had. 

He breathed her in and simply lay there with eyes closed, the sense of peace he had sleeping now overtaking him in his waking hours.

Rey and her abundant, brilliant love filled every pore and part of him, and he lived for the way her hands mussed his hair and trailed along his scalp, learning every inch of him slowly. 

“It was for me as well,” she said softly, one hand dipping down to caress his cheek. “Not having that secret between us anymore is…”

“Freeing. I knew it’d feel good, but not _this_ good,” he mused, pecking one of her breasts, starting to grow hard and yearning to suck on her nipple. “I was so afraid of change and making things worse--”

“Don’t even think about it anymore. There’s no point. We’ve both dwelt in the past long enough,” she whispered, kissing his ear. “We’re together now, and always will be.”

“Yes.”

There was a finality to their words that he couldn’t get enough of. When he saw her mischievous look, their lips locked passionately, and when they came up for breath, he finally sucked a nipple into his mouth, ready to feast on her for breakfast. Her hips slid toward his growing erection, and his arms were eager to close the distance. By the time he sheathed himself inside her, both were lost in sensation, Ben unable to get enough of Rey and her breathy sighs and moans for more.

“So greedy,” he murmured, mesmerized by the way she took and rode him. It was slow and loving at first, but the closer they drew to their peak, the faster she went.

She was just as insatiable as him, and when they finally came, both were panting and exhausted. It was another excuse to let her lie on top of him, and he took full advantage of it. He would never tire of holding her close.

“You’re not shaking this morning,” she observed after they had laid there some time. “Usually you’re rushing to leave the bed by now.”

“I can change form at will, but I’m required to be in the octopus form for at least three hours of each day,” he explained before helping them both out of bed for work and breakfast. “My body has a clock built in, and when I’ve gone a long time without being Kylo, I start to shake. However,” he said, pausing with a grin, “Since we indulged in some tentacle play last night, there’s no rush this morning.”

The morning passed by quickly after that. Breakfast was quick, as both were eager to get their work done and play with the animals a little. As he watched her pay special attention to all of his friends, knowing where to touch and how loud to be, he was amazed yet again by her and was slightly less surprised that she had picked up that it was him as Kylo. After she posted more photo updates on her blog, asking the viewers if there were any particular types of creatures they wanted to see more photos of, he decided to spring his question.

They were technically done with work at that point, and he was determined to get her fully moved into his room now that they were together. As they began packing stuff up from her small cottage, he said, “I have something I want to ask you.”

“So do I,” she said, grinning. “You first.”

“No, I insist.” He went behind her and slung his arms around her. “Ask away.”

She shrugged her shoulders and turned her face slightly to kiss his cheek. “Since you’re being stubborn-”

“Yes, I am.”

With a light chuckle, she said, “Now that we’re together, we should discuss what we want to do together. I was thinking we could choose our top three things each and go down the list doing them.”

His grip on her tightened. If it were possible to give her more of his heart, he would have in that moment. She already had it all, though, so he settled for kissing her neck and nuzzling her there.

“I’d love that. My question is similar,” he said, kissing around her chin. “What are five locations you want to visit with me? I should warn you that we’ll have to work up to the really faraway places.”

Her grin widened. “I’d love to go north and see Amilyn and Rose again. I want you to meet Rose.”

“Done. We can go there first,” he promised as he let go and started packing again. “Where else?”

“I want to go to the Caribbean and meet your family,” she said, making his mouth gape. When he continued to stay frozen, she ventured toward him with wringing hands. “What? Am I not allowed to meet them while human?”

“No. Not at all,” he said, forcing himself to move before a grin overtook his face. “I didn’t expect you to want that so soon.” More quietly, he admitted, “It’s what I want to do with you most.”

Her eyes lit up in understanding. “We’ll do that second.” 

As they finished packing, they discussed other places to visit, as well as other activities they wanted to try. When that was done, both stripped and ventured to the ocean.

“Since we’re sweaty anyway, Rey, we might as well try it now.” When they were waist-deep in the water, he tugged her close, and she happily clasped him. “While you remain human, we can travel through the ocean fastest while I'm a full octopus."

"What about half and half?" she queried, pushing back a strand of hair that got in his face.

He shrugged. "Not quite as fast, but I doubt you care that much about the difference between them since it's small."

"You're right. I want to try traveling both ways," she said as they lowered fully into the water. 

"We will. If there are no witnesses, we can skim along the water's edge, just like we did that one day. If there's anyone watching, we'll lock lips underwater," he explained, turning into a half-octopus and letting her climb onto his back.

"And you'll give me the breath of life," she teased, ruffling his hair once she was settled. "Can I also try traveling in a bridal carry or in front of you?"

His head dipped back, his warm, chocolate eyes meeting her curious ones. "Whatever is most comfortable for you. We'll try both before we go underwater."

And they did. In both cases, Rey didn't mind either position for short distances, but he was sure that she'd be better off on his back for longer trips. She insisted otherwise. 

Not surprisingly, she preferred remaining lip-locked with him.

"I have every excuse to keep kissing you. You're _definitely_ staying half-human for when we venture under the sea. It's much easier to maintain suction with human lips," she said after they came to the surface. 

The way she continued to encourage both sides of him left him speechless at times. Somehow she just _knew_ that he felt torn about his animal side, and she made it a point, as she did then, to play with his lower half, rubbing against his ridges and trailing her toes along his tentacles. 

It was equal parts soothing and arousing.

He chuckled softly as her fingers trailed along his muscled arms and down his chest, shivering at her slow, deliberate touch. "That's true. Shall we go inside and eat dinner?"

"We should. I have big plans for you after dinner," she murmured, kissing his neck as her hips bucked against him.

All he wanted to do was finish what they had started several days ago. Were he fully human, he'd have an erection, and she'd feel it. Instead, his cock inflated uncomfortably while remaining within him as an octopus, and he had to forcibly remove her lest he give in to the desire to ravish her until she was bursting. 

She wanted it. He saw the gleam in her eyes, the way they kept sneaking down as she pressed against him. She wasn't being subtle at all about wanting his monster cock, and he was _that close_ to giving it to her.

"If you keep that up, we're skipping dinner and going straight to dessert," he growled with darker eyes, two tentacles wrapping around her legs to pull her away. "I'm going to devour you."

"Do it," she dared, kissing the other side of his neck before running her right arm along his cheek. "As long as you claim me before we have sex."

He had never felt such a rush of semen as his body tensed and prepared to fill her. She didn't understand the concept of waiting any more than he did, but he had to make sure, though.

Two more tentacles shot forward to hold her arms in place before another nudged her face up to meet his. When he saw her determined look, his hold on her became punishing, his suckers leaving marks. 

From the way she looked at him unflinchingly, it was as though she were used to it or wanted it. 

"Tonight? You want me to claim you already?" he asked gently, face moving in before his hands cradled her cheeks. "Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure," she breathed, kissing him. "I know who I want: you."

His Adam's apple bobbed. "I'm not hungry anymore."

Her stomach growled, and he shook his head as she gave him an apologetic look.

"I wish I could subsist on you only," she said longingly as he released her. "It'll be the fastest dinner ever, right?" 

"You better believe it. It's already painful," he said, returning to a human bottom and sweeping her out of the water.

Her eyes darted below when his cock was uncovered by water. The grin on her face was positively feral. "Ooh, you're almost as bad as me." She turned to kiss his ear. "I'm dripping."

"We just exited the ocean. We both are," he commented dryly before she playfully elbowed him.

They continued poking and tickling one another until they toweled off and grabbed food. At that, both wolfed down their food, eager to move on to more fun activities. He ate at lightspeed when she finished and settled herself in his lap, grinding against him.

"You should hurry up."

He hurried after that. 

By the time he finished, he had a wretched case of blue balls, and he had never seen her face and chest look so flushed. 

"Finally," she huffed, turning her head to kiss him.

She tasted like shrimp and their homemade cream sauce, so tantalizing. He couldn't get enough of her as his mouth consumed hers, and his hands grazed her neck and pebbled breasts, pinching them lightly. Her breath hitched before she hooked a leg around him, opening herself to him. 

As her thigh rested against him, he felt a wide sheen of slick rub across him, and he groaned.

"You're soaking."

"I told you, but you didn't believe me," she teased, bringing one of his hands to her opening, smirking when his mouth gaped at how easily she took three of his fingers. "I need you. _Now_."

"We're barely going to make it outside," he said, fingers sinking into her to the second knuckle. "I'm washing those sheets again tomorrow, it seems," he whispered before pumping in and out of her steadily. 

"Again?" she asked, letting out a full-bodied keen as he added a fourth finger. "Yes again."

"We'll keep doing this until you can take me fully," he promised. Reluctantly, he pulled out of her and picked her up. "As for the laundry, yes. I've done it every time you've slept in my bed. We've ruined quite a few sheets during our nightly activities, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"You must wash them while we're swimming outside," she guessed, smiling as he nodded and walked outside.

"I do. You never seem to notice or care when you wake up, but I do."

"And _this_ is why I could never leave you; I've never met someone so loving and thoughtful," she declared, her body starting to wriggle excitedly as they neared the ocean. "You spoil me."

" _You_ are the most understanding, greedy woman I've ever met, and I mean that in the best possible way," he said, walking into the water and laying her gently on the damp sand.

If he needed any further proof, she showed it as she laid on her back, spreading her arms out flat and opening her legs to him. Half of her thighs were covered in her juices, and her clit was engorged and dark pink, glistening for him. She kept lifting her hips invitingly, and with each twitch, he moved closer to her, until he was kneeling above her, eyes fixed on the apex of her thighs.

One of her hands grabbed his attention. "Do you want a taste, Ben?" 

He nodded. The hand in front of his face drifted down, sliding inside herself with a wet noise. He hadn't thought he could grow harder, but he did after that. He watched for a short time, transfixed. He was struck by the image she presented in the evening twilight with hooded eyes, wild hair, and a smirk on her features as she presented herself to him. 

As she groaned, she worked herself up until he was dragging her two fingers out, a new command in his voice. 

"Enough. Only I do that," he said, eyeing her before sucking her fingers long and hard. Her lust-filled eyes beckoned him closer, and when he didn’t immediately act, a glimmer of mischief entered her orbs. When her other hand started to move, the bottom half of him turned into an octopus, allowing the six tentacles to take their place around her. All humor left her as she watched him transform, something smug and hungry in her gaze because she had finally achieved what she wanted most.

The urge to take her then had never been stronger. When both her arms and legs were restrained, he removed his hands from her arms, caressing her face. "This body is mine.” His fingers left her face and entered both of her holes, making her mewl and shut her eyes in pleasure. “Mine to please.” He slid his fingers out easily, spreading her slippery lower lips before slamming a tentacle inside her pussy, making her jolt and pant. “Mine to hold.”

“All yours,” she promised, jerking her hips forward to take him deeper, sighing when he did. "It feels so good taking you like this." Her whole body stilled when she felt another tentacle at her ass, lubricating her before entering her. As she clenched around his tentacles, she begged, “More.”

His canines glinted dangerously as they lengthened in preparation for claiming. “Where?”

Her look was positively feral. “Both. My ass and pussy. I was so proud of myself for taking you and that dildo, but I want to push myself for you.”

He responded immediately, replacing the tentacles on her arms with his hands. He wanted so badly to enter her ass with two tentacles, so he went there first, dabbing the tight ring of muscles with more lubrication and warmth before stretching her to her limit, inching his way inside her. 

With each bit of movement, he saw her excitement and the blush on her face grow, and both moaned in satisfaction when he was fully within her with a second tentacle. It was the most delicious tightness he had known yet. 

"Yes. We did it," she breathed, looking so pleased with herself before she met his eyes. "I want to take all of you so _badly."_

He grinned, licking his lips. "You will."

She barely had time to blink before his fingers found her clit, circling it and pushing her to the edge of her orgasm, not letting her come yet. 

Her questioning look was soon replaced with bliss as a second tentacle entered her pussy. His pace was agonizingly slow, but he watched her face and body closely until he filled her completely, reveling in how well she took him.

"Wait. Just, wow," she said quietly, her whole body loosening up. "I was so afraid I'd never get this far with you."

"You're too determined not to, and your body is made for me. We'll try more inside you later," he promised, stroking her clit. 

"Yes. I'd like that. I'm so proud of my body right now," she said, moving her hips experimentally. "I'm ready. Fill me so I'm ready for more."

He wasted no time in sending her soaring toward the edge, his tentacles moving in and out of her in tandem, sawing and splitting her in half until she was crying out his name, begging for release. He stopped then to take in her heaving chest and shiny eyes, dark with need.

“Mine to touch."

Her right hand left his grip before she offered her arm to him. "Then prove it by claiming me."

\--------

For a second, Rey feared he would change his mind. His predatory eyes, however, never left hers, and he tightened his hold on her before sliding her along the sand and into the ocean, so that her calves and feet were in the calm water. 

"It doesn't matter where I claim you, but it feels more meaningful in the water," he murmured. "One foot in my world, and the other in yours."

"Just like you right now," she said, shivering as the cool water washed over her. 

As two tentacles inside her moved, however, all thought of cold left her, and liquid heat rushed through her veins, reminding her that he was testing the limits of her body in the best way possible. 

"I'd do anything for you," he vowed, running the edge of his teeth against her upper arm before moving into place. 

"This is all I want," she breathed, unable to stop staring at his teeth on her. "Just you, running through my veins."

"To live, to breathe, to be immersed in you," he said in awe.

"Yes, that," she said as his head lifted up slightly. "I want-"

"You."

His teeth sunk into her, and she felt his venom, burning hot and surging through her as it consumed and merged with her blood. She closed her eyes and focused on the flames from within that seemed to spread like wildfire, finding every part of her and claiming it for _him._ Until there was nothing left but _them._

“Ben,” she croaked when it seemed to stop.

Even with her eyes closed, she knew he was happy. Knew it beyond a shadow of a doubt. The warmth of his love was like sunlight, and it put the burning inferno of his desire to shame in how it wrapped itself around her, making her feel like she was back in the desert. 

She was thirsty, too, but it wasn’t for water. As the tentacles inside her pussy moved as one, she made a garbled, high-pitched noise, suddenly remembering just how full she was. The rough slide of his ridges against her walls made her weep with joy as she yearned to touch his tentacles, to trace every ridge and kiss them in thanks for how they gave her pleasure beyond telling.

“Kylo,” she warbled, hips rising to meet his thrusts. “I need you.”

His confusion was palpable, and she opened her eyes as his grip lightened, something new replacing the lukewarm bafflement. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked, running her fingers along his jaw. 

“You’re still calling me Kylo. I’m still not … used to it,” he admitted, leaning into her touch. “I love it, but--”

“But nothing. You’re Ben _and_ Kylo. Both,” she said, squeezing a tentacle and finding it hard to breathe as arousal swallowed both of them. Had she known that touching his tendrils like that turned him on so much, she would’ve done it more often. "You're everything I’ve ever needed and more than I ever thought I wanted,” she cooed, brushing her thumb against his plush lips. 

He let go of her other hand, his hands circling and pinching her taut peaks. Bolts of desire starting at her breasts rippled through her body, leaving her panting and soaking him with her juices. When she clenched around him, she _finally_ understood why he always commented about the feeling of her being so tight. 

It was like an out of body experience, to be squeezed like that, and she only had some knowledge because of what he did to her breasts. That was _nothing_ compared to this. 

She felt him keenly, his desire and contentment to be so squeezed, how he simply dove straight in and lived in the sensations, silently begging for more as he twisted around inside her.

"Kylo, I-oh."

The wonderful drag of him made her forget momentarily about his feelings as she rocked and thrust faster, seeking her peak. She used both hands to grasp his tentacles, running along them slowly with light presses to try to encourage him to go deeper. 

It worked too well; she felt paralyzed, frozen by the searing heat and all-consuming _want_ that filled them both. It was too much, and yet not enough.

"Kylo, Ben, I, this is--"

As words failed her, he leaned over and captured her lips in a bruising kiss. 

"Just wait until my cock is buried inside you, along with two tentacles in your ass. You haven't seen anything yet, sweetheart," he said, kissing a trail of fire down her neck and stopping at her breasts.

She wanted to tell him that she was ready, that she was perilously close to coming, but he chose then to replace his hands with his mouth, suckling on her breasts as his fingers found her clit. With a little pressure, she was his personal fireworks show, every particle of light and fire bursting within her and in front of her eyes as she fell apart, crying Ben's name. 

The wave of her orgasm shot through her, but what she didn't expect was how her own triggered Ben's as his hands and mouth went slack. It was unexpected but even more powerful than her own. The sense of pressure releasing as hot jets pulsed and filled her almost set her off, and when she felt the heady mixture of love and lust, of his complete and utter devotion for her as he gave her one last burst of his lubricant, it triggered another orgasm for her. 

"That was incredible," she said, hand on her heart as she tried to breathe normally. "Ben, I, I didn't think it was possible--"

"I told you it's better when claimed," he said with a shaky chuckle, slowly getting off of her. "I want to lay here forever, but--"

"But I want the real thing," she replied, gripping his chin and meeting his eyes. "Every last inch of you."

She didn't understand how it was possible for him to already feel aroused, but it egged on her own feelings as the tentacles inside her pussy pulled out. As they left her, they brought with them a long, sticky trail of her cum and his lubricant, and her body warmed in anticipation of the taste. The tentacles stopped just short of their mouths, and neither wasted time sucking themselves off of the tentacles. 

Ben was more efficient, while Rey took her time, starting with the tip and sucking hard. When she was satisfied she had gotten all of it, she took him a little deeper. By then, Ben was watching her suck harder, his desire skyrocketing as their eyes met.

"Take more," he said, eager to insert it further.

She nodded and licked around him, paying attention to each sucker and their undersides, and she felt the pressure within him build, setting her off on the path toward another orgasm. 

When she greedily took several more inches in her next go, he moaned and thrust inside her ass repeatedly, the two tentacles taking turns leaving and entering her. 

"Good girl," he purred. "You're doing so well. Just a little more-"

"Faster," she demanded, despite her mouth being full. 

He complied, moving both tendrils within her as one, and she sucked him as hard as she could, her hands coming up and stroking the tentacle in her mouth. With each touch and suck, he began to reach for his peak, desire and pressure building within them both, sending her faster than she could have otherwise. 

One hand sought each ridge, exploring the pattern to see if it was the same on each one, and he loved the scratch of her nails against him. The other hand stuck to the underside, tickling each sucker, and he appreciated her attention to detail. Before long, she was taking him the rest of the way in her mouth, groaning from the combined taste, and she sensed that he felt bloated. 

"Rey, I need to be inside you. It physically hurts to not do so anymore," he whined, bringing her eyes away from his tentacle.

It took her a moment, but she recognized the feelings he had and gasped. 

He was hard and ready for her. 

"Please." 

Her hands reached for his bottom, and she felt another surge within him as he pulled out of her mouth momentarily and tracked the movement of her hands. When she was just below his opening, she felt his lubricant drip steadily onto her, at least until she pressed her hands against him. At that, she was awash in his fluids, and some small measure of relief spilled through his mental link to her.

_Finally._

"What was that?"

He jolted, eyes going wide before sparkling with joy.

_Could it be?_

"Could what be?" she asked, bringing one of her soaked hands to her mouth and tasting.

"My family said that the feelings are linked through claiming, and that words come much later, after you're attuned to the other. Sometimes it's after both are claimed. You can already hear me," he explained, happiness shining in his eyes and through their bond.

"Yes. Because I care about you deeply," she said, realizing to some degree the hugeness of it all. 

Nothing like what they were doing right now should have happened so fast, but there they were, making it work. Embracing one another entirely. It was beautiful and fitting, and it would be really helpful when they swam underwater together. 

The possibilities made her giddy, and Ben seemed to feel similarly as his eyes grew soft and warm, just as his feelings blurred and fused with hers, making it harder to distinguish the difference between them. 

Everything felt warm and tender, even with the splashes of water that hit her legs. He was holding her close and showing her the depth of his feelings. Even with the animal need, he still was the kind, soft lover who cooked behind her. Both parts were so much a part of him, and she loved them both.

There was something special about their connection, and it was only confirmed by their bond. She was sure that it had something to do with the fact that she loved him in every way.

"Let me touch you, Kylo. I need _you_ inside me," she pleaded, stroking his opening. 

She hadn't thought it was possible for him to get much softer in his feelings, but he surprised her with even more tenderness. If he could have become a puddle of feeling, he would have then in the way he loosened his grip on her everywhere, choosing instead to gently caress her body anywhere he could touch, humming softly.

Just as she started to get into it, she felt his cock emerge. As soon as her fingers grazed the heated, sensitive head, he shook from head to tentacle tip, every inch of him turning red.

Were she not immersed and wallowing in his arousal, she might have taken more time to look at the truly unique sight of the whole human part of him completely red. He seemed bashful for a moment, but when she licked her lips and slid a finger inside his cock's opening, he forgot about that and sucked her finger in completely, drenching her finger and arm in his juices. 

"Rey," he rasped, "I want--"

The way his cock and tentacles throbbed sent waves of arousal coursing through her as he oozed more onto her. She couldn't help herself, bringing more fingers around his opening to flick off more of his pre-cum and admire how soft the skin was around his opening. The scientist in her wanted to examine him _everywhere_ , inside and out, but she feared he wouldn't want that just now when they were so close to finally being joined.

More of his cock appeared in her vision until it was a foot long, dark red and pulsing around her finger. Her eyes were drawn to it, and she felt the sharpest heat of need hit her yet, making her hips jump toward his weeping cock.

"Oh, _Ben,"_ she said, voice throaty. "Fill me. I want every last inch of you."

"You really associate Ben with that cock?" he growled, his length widening and moving toward her pussy.

She nodded her head absentmindedly as her mouth dropped open. "Yes. In my dreams, you've had that since the beginning," she stated, still unable to tear her eyes away.

As he gushed onto her more, her body was wracked with shivers, as much from seeing him and being turned on as he was enamored of her statement. 

"I wanted you to have that cock so badly," she said, pulling her finger out and sucking it before pushing in her middle finger as she guided him toward her center. 

"That means the world to me." His voice was rough, but the emotions that swirled around her were heartfelt. "I want--"

His mouth shut, and she was about to ask him what he wanted when she heard a small whisper through the bond.

_Touch the inside of me._

Her eyes lit up in excitement, relieved that he wanted it as much as she did.

"Oh, thank goodness," she exhaled, crooking her middle finger and lightly running the pad of her finger along his cock walls. "I want to feel you so badly."

He let out the breath he had been holding, eyes rolling to the back of his head when she first touched him. 

"You're exquisite," he marveled. "Perfect. Curious. Touch more."

As she circled him and found more smooth skin despite the ridges on the outside, she gasped and brought another finger against the inner one, only his cock separating them. He mumbled her name before he spurted a thick, white line onto her stomach, and she made a whining noise, dragging his attention to her. 

He looked down just in time to see her core, now thoroughly drenched in her arousal as more dribbled out at witnessing his actions. 

A spike of lust lanced through her, and she looked at him.

"You liked that, didn't you?" he asked, another predatory look on his face.

"Yes. Mark me there, too," she requested, thrusting her finger in and out of him again. "Cover me."

As she pressed the length of her finger against him, he squirted out a much longer rope of white, this time contacting her breasts. The hungry look she wore was enough to make him paint her other breast with a stripe before her hand gripped him like a hose, aiming his cock at her open mouth. 

_You are too perfect to pass up._

In the next moment, a large burst of white soared through the air, half of it landing in her mouth while the rest found her face and neck. He lengthened and stopped above her breasts, covering them and her stomach. The primal part of him crowed in pride as he surveyed her, his cock twitching before moving again, stopping just short of her pussy. 

"Another time I'll cover your whole body," he promised. "I need to lose myself in you this time. Fill you so tight with me before I empty myself in you completely."

"Please, Ben," she begged, pulling her finger out of him and sucking it thoroughly as her eyes closed, her body reaching for his. "Kylo--"

"Yes. Yes, I am Kylo," he interrupted.

"And Ben," she added, opening her eyes as he lined himself up with her. "You are both. The best of both. I want all of you."

He exhaled loudly, stroking her face before singing softly, "So long, I've been looking too hard; I've been waiting too long. Sometimes I don't know what I will find; I only know it's a matter of time.

When you love someone."

His voice washed over her and left her breathless as the song came back with even deeper meaning.

"It feels so right, so warm and true. I need to know if you feel it too." His hands touched her heart, and it felt as though both their hearts hammered wildly together. "I've been waiting for a girl like you to come into my life. I've been waiting for a girl like you; your loving will survive.

I've been waiting for someone new to make me feel alive."

She sighed, caught up in him entirely. 

"I've never felt so alive. Only with you do I feel whole," he finished on a whisper.

When he finished speaking, she reached out her hands. "I feel the same way. Come lay on top of me. I want to be as close to you as possible."

He lowered himself, her hands gripping what would have been his hips and delighting in each ridge she found. 

As his lips found hers, she felt his cock breach her entrance, and it felt like coming home. Comforting. Satisfying. Safe. Everything she needed. 

"Kylo," she muttered between kisses, "you're going too slow."

As her hands ran up and down his back, he chuckled, nipping her chin and neck.

"And you are insatiable," he replied as she felt his cock head expand within her, making her breath hitch. "That better for you?"

"Yes. I want your full head inside me next." 

As her fingers played with his hair, his hands cupped her breasts, laying open-mouthed kisses around the edges. 

"I want these," he said, licking her within the valley of her breasts. 

"Then what about those poor tentacles? There's two of them free now." She looked around and realized neither were in sight.

"I have plans for those," he said mysteriously.

She was left to puzzle but for a moment, when they slid along the edges of her forearms. As they stopped at her lips, she grinned and opened wide.

"My fearless girl, taking all of me like this," he said before sucking a nipple into his mouth. When the tips of both tentacles were inside her mouth, lubricant drizzled inside, and she tried to suck him dry, her upper body lifting up.

Her whole body quieted when his flared head entered her fully, and she became content to simply lie there. He knew what he was doing; she could trust him. 

“That’s it. Take me. Take all of it like I know you crave,” he instructed, entering her pussy deeper. 

As soon as he stopped moving inside her, his cock expanded a little more, and her walls contracted around him until more lubricant appeared to ease his way in. At that, the rough feel of his ridges was reduced slightly, and he continued his journey, urging her on toward her own peak. Anytime she showed the slightest twinge of pain, the concern that flooded their bond reframed and deepened every bit of longing that he had for her. 

When he slowed down momentarily three quarters of the way in, she grasped his cock. Not so much to shove him in as to praise and encourage him. Now that she knew how he felt about her grasping his tendrils, she hoped that he responded even better when it was his cock.

He did.

As he flushed red and growled, the burning within him reached a fever pitch, every garbled word in his mind one long, messy string of love words. The more she teased and stroked, the more he bulged within her as he stuffed himself inside her. Each labored breath they shared became a rhythm as her body consumed him.

The tentacles in her mouth slunk in steadily in time with his cock, and her body coiled in on itself as the tension throughout overtook her. Eventually her hands fell to her side as the sensation of being full became too much, too hard to hold her hands up as lust weighed her down. 

He didn’t really need to hold down her legs in the wet sand that time, simply because she wanted to take and receive every part of him that he would give her. He pushed and filled three different holes, the angles making it seem like her body was torn apart by the stretch as he drilled into her. 

And yet, every time she breathed out and relaxed, there was just a little more room. With the amount of lubrication that was leaking out of her in all places, she was sure it was because of that, even if she wished that none of it was wasted. It enhanced her experience with him in every possible way, heightening her need, helping her focus on him, and letting her adjust to take him fully. She made incoherent sounds with her mouth full, and Ben constantly watched her body, looking for her noises and the little jerks of her hips as his hands fondled her breasts. 

The tentacles in her mouth found her throat, and she was amazed at how much he loved it through the bond. She deep-throated him to the best of her ability, but once she started to gag, he backed off, running his tips along her tongue and upper mouth as he secreted more lubricant. 

When he bottomed out inside her pussy, her head fell down and back, holding still to memorialize the moment. He understood, his hands stroking her arms while his mouth and tongue swirled around her breasts, waiting for her signal.

Everything felt more special and momentous today as she took her man in the most intimate way she can, opening herself up to him in the only way she can. The stretch was delicious, and she couldn't be more proud of herself. He was _so much,_ and the way he pinned her down in all three of her orifices was beyond anything she had ever imagined or hoped. She didn't want any part of him excluded from her body. 

In a perfect world, every one of his tentacles would be inside her at once, bulging and pushing her until she combusted. This was her first step, and she didn't want any barrier between them, to be so intimately connected to him so she never had to know where she ended and he began. 

They could simply be one. Now they were.

After staying still so long, the thought of his cock ramming in and out her pussy at the same time as the tentacles in her ass left her trembling. The need to move became her only thought, and once she started squirming, he chanted it with her through the bond.

“Show me where, Rey.”

_Please be everywhere._

Her hands touched every tentacle he had before finding his face and cock. As soon as she grasped his cock, she felt another surge of fluids within him that took her breath away as he filled her to the max.

As his hands guided and restrained her wrists, he ran his teeth lightly along her nipples. 

“I’m going to turn your world upside down, Rey. No one will ever compare to this, to what I’m about to give you,” he murmured as his canines lengthed once more and found the swell of her breasts. “They never said I couldn’t claim you in multiple places … I want to mark you here,” he mused before going to her neck, “and here. You want that, don’t you?”

“Yes!” she cried, nodding her head as more of her juices cascaded over his cock, making him grin. 

_Mine._

Her left hand nipped at his right one before exposing her neck fully. _Yes, she was._

His left hand caressed his mark as his right one squeezed her hand in understanding. “One day, you’ll claim me, too, and I count down the days to it.”

_To be forever yours. To know you intimately._

“I want to know your body better than mine.”

She revealed her neck to him. _Please_.

He bit her neck gently, and the feeding frenzy began. There was always at least one tentacle inside her mouth and ass while the others pulled out or in at the same time as his cock. At first, he took it slow, rubbing against her walls and teeth as the claiming mark on her neck burned through her, and when he was satisfied, he went to the underside of her breasts.

Just before he bit there, she ripped one of her arms free to guide his teeth to the top, so she could always see it. Through the haze of his feelings and venom as he split her in half, she wasn’t sure if she got her point across, but when she sensed his pleasure at the gesture, she fell back. 

After his teeth sank into each of her breasts, he waited a moment and kissed each spot, noting how her pulse raced. When she flexed her hips, desperate for him, he pounded into her with animal abandon, giving it to her as roughly as she liked, his hold on her bruising in its intensity. He put his whole body into it as he rose and fell into her, and she drowned in him, hanging on by a thread as he fucked her into oblivion. 

“I’ve never seen someone as beautiful or talented as you. I want to make you,” he paused, working harder, “mine. Your mind, heart, and body. I want it all.”

"It's yours," she gasped, her body rocking in time with him.

With every thrust and kiss, he mentally chanted her name followed by _mine_ , and soon, it was the only thing she could think of, besides the overwhelming need to come. 

Their need for one another combined into one frantic ball of movement, and their heartbeats merged again at last. 

While she had only one tentacle in her mouth, she begged, “Kylo! Ben! Please.”

He pulled out of her everywhere; tears formed at the edges of her eyes as she mourned his loss. Her body chased his before he filled her with two hard thrusts, starting with his cock and adding his tentacles, two at a time.

A hand left her wrist. “Come for me, Rey.” As he found her clit, she gripped his cock.

As one, they found their peak, every feeling glorious and stunning as it rolled through them both. She came around him, and no orgasm had ever been so powerful, to experience two at the same time. She felt his soul-deep relief as his hot seed filled her pussy to bursting, and everywhere else his lubricant coated and sated her thirst.

For a long time, they simply lay there, unable to move. The sun had already set, and the dark night sky greeted them, no stars visible because of the lit-up boardwalk and line of hotels half a mile away. 

When Rey first arrived in Virginia Beach, she often traversed the boardwalk at night, admiring the joggers and couples who joined her for a scenic walk, wishing she had Ben beside her. 

Now, she had something much better with him. Through their bond, she heard him catalogue every detail about her that he could see or smell, and she stroked his sweaty hair and neck absentmindedly, never looking around. 

If anyone was nearby that night, neither Ben nor Rey cared. There was no sound but their racing heartbeats slowing down to match the gentle lapping of the waves that had finally appeared. 

Neither minded the water, and Rey welcomed it as it played with her feet and ankles, helping to cool her off. Eventually, he rolled off of her and transformed fully into a human before cradling her close. 

"I love you," he said against her forehead.

"I love you, too. More than life itself," she replied, going to the crook of his neck to settle herself there. When he started to bring them closer to the ocean, she sulked. "Do we have to wash off?"

He chuckled, shaking his head fondly. "That's my girl. No, we don't have to, but we'll be a mess. Especially you with all that."

He gestured at the lubricant he had covered her with earlier. She jerked her head toward their bed inside. "You can clean me up in the tub tomorrow while we plan our trip north. The weekend is coming soon; we should celebrate being a couple and tell my friends." 

He kissed the crown of her head. "You're so right. I'll let Artoo and Threepio out into the ocean for a while, and we can find a little bed and breakfast on the ocean. Just the two of us."

"With some occasional time in the ocean to explore," she insisted as he carried her inside the lab. “I feel terrible about how little work we’ve done in the last week.”

“We’ll make up for it now.”

\-----------------

The next day, after much discussion of their schedule and things they wanted to do, they made arrangements at a bed and breakfast for a week. Following more phone calls with Amilyn and Rose about activities, they sent a week's worth of clothes and research tools for each of them the following day to their lodgings.

The next day dawned clear and bright, and Rey was up before Ben. “Wake up, Ben. We’re making our first trip as a couple today.”

“Snuggle now. Travel later,” he murmured groggily, holding her closer.

“You’ve had lots of sleep last night and the night before. You can’t be tired now,” she insisted, trying to drag him out of bed in her excitement to go to Maine. “We’ve both been getting the same amount of sleep, and I didn’t wear you out last night.”

One of his eyes blearily opened, pinning her with an exasperated look. “You’re also younger and used to a lack of sleep. I’m not.”

Grinning, she kissed his cheek before a mischievous gleam entered her eyes. “I’ll make it up to you later tonight.”

“And _that_ is why I’ll never get a full night’s sleep ever again,” he declared, kissing her softly. “I will always choose you.”

“The perks of being young and insatiable,” she commented with a wink. Tugging on his wrists, she said, “How about now?”

Chuckling, he let her pull him from the comfy nest of blankets and warmth that they had created in his bed. After taking care of the lab and its inhabitants’ needs, they ventured outside. For once, Rey wore a wetsuit, and she carried a bathing suit for modesty’s sake for Ben when they arrived. The suit was in a small dry bag, along with money, identification, and phones.

As befitting summer in Virginia Beach, the sweltering heat and blazing sand had Rey and Ben rushing across the empty beach. Once they reached the small waves, they stood comfortably, cooling their feet off. Rey grinned at her old, empty cottage, glad to be with Ben. He saw the direction of her gaze, swinging an arm around her waist.

“Amazing how a month can change everything,” he whispered, pushing a stray hair behind her ear. “Now we’re a couple.”

He still had some doubts upon seeing her friends, but when she looked at him like he was the only one she saw, he was sure that they could handle anything. She stood so tall and proud, and the way her body shook with anticipation to begin was encouraging and infectious. 

“Partners. Mates. I couldn’t be happier or more ready to spend it with you,” she said, wading in until she was knee-deep.

He followed behind her a little ways, content to watch her enter the deep blue sea fearlessly. Her level of trust in him still took him by surprise, and he was already used to the cooler temperatures.

After waving to him to join her, she dove underwater. He walked toward her, but when she didn’t immediately come up for air like he expected, his chest and body seized in dread. Heart pounding, he jumped into the water, fearing the worst.

What he saw instead took his breath away. Rey was swimming, but she was smiling and opening her mouth underwater, as though she had gills. She kicked her feet and followed a school of fish curiously along the shallow bottom, and when she saw Ben, her face lit up, pointing to the fish.

The fish were _not_ his priority.

_How are you breathing underwater so long?!_

As he swam toward her, she pointed to the mark he left on her neck. The punctured skin puffed in and out, and it took him a moment to understand. His mark and venom had allowed her to breathe underwater. 

While she examined the fish, he swam around her, looking for any other differences. When he found none, he pulled her into his arms, observing the mark in action. Satisfied, he pulled her to the surface, wanting to get a closer look at her and his mark.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked nervously.

“Never better. I was about to start going up for air when I saw the fish. Distracted, I opened my mouth; then I realized I could breathe underwater. Your mark is the only thing that I can think of that could change that,” she intuited, touching the pink skin.

“You’re going to be a famous scientist one day thinking like that,” he said in awe before kissing the mark. “I’ve never heard of this happening before.”

“What about the rest of your family? Surely it’s not that odd,” she tried, directing him north.

“They’ve never noticed that before now…most likely because everyone was claimed at the same time they were turned,” he said ruefully, changing into a half-octopus.

His tentacles wrapped around her legs and waist as soon they could, eager to be holding her. 

“That’s not enough; I want you _everywhere_ ,” she said. She brought one tentacle to her neck, rubbing the tip against his bite before bringing the whole thing around her neck like a scarf. “That’s better for us as we travel, but there’s still two more.” 

She puzzled about where to put them until he laughed. “I need some to swim as well, but we’ll take a break to cuddle and warm you up,” he promised, his good mood skyrocketing at how much her face showed she wanted that. 

He felt as though he had found heaven. Such self-giving love and acceptance as she surrounded herself in him, and then to see her eyes…they were a warm, rich hazel that he drank in like he needed air. 

“I suppose you do need those; let’s go,” she said. “I’m ready to see the world with you.” She kissed each of his eyelids. “I want to see the world through your eyes.”

Ben did just that, wanting her to be a part of his world in every way. They traveled underwater in the shallows for the most part, only going above the edge of the water when Ben didn’t see anyone nearby, whether in a boat or on the shore. The further north they went, the colder it became. 

“I hope the Caribbean is much warmer than this; I’m not used to these temperatures,” commented Rey when they came above the water one time. “It’s beautiful under the sea, though.”

“It’s nothing compared to the clear, bright Caribbean, though,” he maintained. “This ocean is beautiful in its wildness; the southern ones are beautiful aesthetically. And much warmer.”

“Which I’m sure is why your family stays there.” She ran her hands through his hair, leaning against him.

“It is. They like the warmth for part of the year; it has its perks. You’ll see my favorite one when we go there in a month or so,” he said, running his suckers along her hands and the soles of her feet to warm her up. “My lair.”

Her whole body perked up. “You have an honest-to-goodness, underwater lair?”

“I’m a large sea creature, aren’t I? I have to,” he said with amusement. “I’m telling you nothing about it.”

“Tease,” she grumbled as he led them toward the shore.

Occasionally he stopped to show her beaches that he liked, or when they passed state lines. The first time he showed her a new state, they stopped at Assateague Island National Park in Maryland. Rey had never been to Maryland before, so she had wanted to step onto the land to make it official. She ended up on land with Ben running after her when she discovered the wild horses that ran free along the shore. 

They ended up stopping at every state along the way. When they came to Delaware, he showed her Rehoboth, and they stopped in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for food and rest. Rey showed definite signs of flagging after that due to her lack of experience swimming long distances, but she stubbornly insisted on trying to swim through Long Island, New York, and Newport, Rhode Island, before she let him carry them both the rest of the way to Bar Harbor, Maine, where the university and Amilyn’s lab were located. 

It took almost the whole day to get there, especially with extra breaks for Rey, but she never wavered in her determination to travel. Anytime he seemed to slow down or complain mentally about something, she took to nuzzling or kissing him for encouragement, and he appreciated it. 

His long trips had become routine and boring for many years; seeing it all with Rey was the best thing that could have happened to him. Her new eyes and interest in everything reminded him of why he had become a researcher: because he had a unique perspective, and to some degree, a duty to share his knowledge for the sake of science.

When they finally arrived, Rey rushed out of the water, as much to see Amilyn as to leave the frigid water. Ben had barely put on his bathing suit again and joined Rey when Amilyn came walking out with open arms and a skeptical face.

Her eyes as she looked between the couple questioned why they were in the water, and Ben had a moment of doubt. Amilyn was Rey’s mentor, and Rey looked up to her like a mother. Just because she liked him before didn’t mean she would like him now that they were dating.

“That’s where you’re wrong; she’s going to love you even more now because you make me deliriously happy. Besides, even if she doesn’t like you, you can’t get rid of me so easily,” whispered Rey with a small smile as she embraced Amilyn.

“You made it. Welcome back, Rey,” said Amilyn softly, hugging her tightly. “You’re glowing.”

“I’ve missed you, and I want you to spend more time with Ben so you love my boyfriend as much as I do,” said Rey, glancing at him.

Ben preened under the new name. They had discussed calling themselves that, but to actually hear her call him that to her friends was even better. Rey was clearly proud, just like he was.

“Oh, this _is_ serious,” said Amilyn, turning her focus to Ben. “Welcome to Maine.” Coming forward, she shook his hand. “I look forward to extending the same courtesy to you with my lab. It’s a pleasure to host you and Rey.”

“Shall we head inside and start the tour?” asked Rey brightly before shivering. 

Ben rushed to her side, sliding an arm around her, only for her to cringe.

His face fell until she complained, “You’re freezing. We both need to warm up.” He felt a little better after that, putting an arm around her anyway.

“They say skin-to-skin contact is the best way to warm up.”

Blushing, Rey conceded, “It is. And I think I have a good idea of why you’re so cold.”

Amilyn rolled her eyes. “Enough, love birds. You’re not alone. Let’s get both of you inside. Rey, I loved your blog entry this morning; I want to hear more about that after you’ve changed.”

_Our clothing. We have none._

The horror imbued in his immediate thought that they had not planned ahead enough made both of them pale. 

“Amilyn, do you have any of those scrubs lying around still? The ones for the nasty jobs that the interns did?” asked Rey, wasting no time in finding a solution.

The couple paused when Amilyn stopped ahead of them, raising an eyebrow at them. After a moment, she answered, “Yes. Why?” When Rey didn’t respond immediately, she continued, “Don’t you have your clothes nearby from being dropped off? Wouldn't you want to if you decide to go swimming first thing upon your arrival?”

Rey ducked her head, and Ben was sure that that was how Rey reacted to anything scolding from her mentor. “No. We didn’t plan for this part of the trip well.”

“I see.” She gave Ben a critical look. “So you dropped off your things at the bed and breakfast and came here in your bathing suit? Just because you missed the ocean here?”

She gave Rey a hard look, and Ben intervened, refusing to let Rey take all the blame as he pointed in the direction of their shared lodgings. “We haven’t been there, yet. We just arrived.”

“We used a non-traditional method for our clothing and gear; we shipped it here before us,” explained Rey.

The older woman's face was still troubled. “But that still doesn’t explain why you don’t have clothing from the airport-”

Rey gave Amilyn a pleading look, patting her bathing suit, which quieted the older woman. She looked between them once more before shaking her head.

“To be young and in love. Never mind. I don’t think I want to know how you lost your clothing. It's probably floating in the ocean now.”

Both heaved a sigh of relief as Amilyn gave up her twenty questions. After changing, Rey enjoyed giving the tour with Amilyn of the lab, and when they finished, they promised to come back on future days. 

The whole lab went out for dinner with them, and Ben enjoyed hearing stories of Rey, all while snuggled comfortably next to her. It was rare their hands weren’t intertwined, and when Rey used the bathroom, Amilyn stole the chance to sit next to him.

“Did you hear about Snoke?” asked Amilyn with curious eyes. When Ben stiffly shook his head, she added, “His assistant found him dead in his own lab. It seems one of his octopuses bit and killed him.”

“That’s terrible,” he replied, making her frown. “I can’t believe an octopus would do that.”

“Given the things he did to them, I’m not surprised. It feels appropriate for the old prune; I never liked him,” said Amilyn, her face becoming more serious. “I’m glad Rey never worked for him.”

“Me too,” he agreed, smiling. 

She looked ready to pounce on him, fingers drumming expectantly, and he didn’t understand why. “When Rey first mentioned that she was interested in you, I was a little surprised that she would jump in so fast with you. I warned her about being taken advantage of as a woman.”

“I understand,” he whispered, giving Amilyn an impassive look. “However, that was the furthest thing from my mind.”

“I see that. I’m proud of her for going after what she wants.” Ben grinned at that and started to sip on his water, only to choke on it moments later. “She loves you; not every woman is willing to try anal for a guy she just met. Definitely not me. Something wrong?”

He looked at her sparkling eyes. “She told you about that?”

Amilyn’s grin turned smug. “Yes. I’m glad she’s being satisfied in that way, as well. It’s obvious you two go at it too much with that kind of bad planning.”

“She’s got us on a tight schedule here,” he tried to explain, only for her to place a quieting hand on top of his.

“I’m sure she does, given how much she likes the lab and blog. She’s happy. Thank you for taking care of her so well.” She leaned in expectantly. “However, if I hear even a hint of you treating her wrong-”

“Then you have my permission to skin me alive and examine me to your heart’s content,” he finished seriously. “She is _everything_ I thought I would never find.”

Amilyn scrunched her eyes at his wording before dismissing it. “You’re different, but honest. I like you,” she pronounced as Rey returned before grabbing her wine glass.

“That’s good. One day, I’m going to marry him,” stated Rey, beaming at Ben as Amilyn spit out her drink.

He grinned brightly, and Amilyn's gaze darted between them to observe. He was pleased beyond words as he squeezed Rey's hand tenderly.

_As soon as you’re ready and have your cover story set._

They continued to stare dreamily at one another until Amilyn loudly cleared her throat. “You’re worse than I was when I first got married. Speaking of husbands, where’s mine?”

“Right behind you, Ami!” cried Poe, racing behind his wife and pecking her cheek. “I’ve missed you.” Ben was shocked by the age difference between Poe and Amilyn, and Rey nudged his jaw up just before Poe faced them. “Captain Poe Holdo at your service.” Extending his hand to Ben, he added, “I’m a fisherman and boat-lover, sometimes racer. Been driving boats since my teens. And no, that’s not when I met my wife.” At Ben’s wide eyes, he cried, “That was a joke! You’re supposed to laugh.”

Ben looked on helplessly as Rey held in giggles. “Sorry. I’m not used to people,” said Ben, shaking his hand and hoping his pink ears were hidden. “Ben Solo.”

Poe’s eyes widened in understanding. “That’s fine. Ami warned me you were eccentric, but I hear we have similar taste in women and _other things_ ,” said Poe with a waggle of eyebrows.

Amilyn shrugged as Rey facepalmed. Ben didn’t know what to say at first, staring at him like he was trying to read Poe’s mind to find how to respond. When he was unsuccessful, he replied with a red face, “Rey is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“She better be! Ami only brings on the best,” said Poe, slapping Ben’s back before sliding next to Amilyn. “I’ve been away for too long.”

“Yes, but you were doing me a favor in Jamaica, so all is forgiven,” she said, kissing her husband. 

“Jamaica? You’ve been there?” asked Ben, getting excited.

“You betcha, Solo. Several times, in fact. You been there?” asked Poe, scooting closer.

“Yes. I grew up nearby there for part of my life, and I want to take Rey there to examine the marine life,” explained Ben, his face growing animated.

\--------------------

As the men jumped into a conversation about fish and other seafood in the Caribbean, Rey smiled and let them bond. Secretly, she was relieved that Ben found common ground with Poe since the men would likely be spending more time together in the future. Once she saw that Ben was settled, she enjoyed her time with Amilyn. Their dinner out was repeated every day that week while they visited, and Rey took delight in telling Amilyn of her adventures, along with one more addition to the party the second night: Rose.

“Rey! You’re really back! C’mere,” cried Rose, hugging her friend like she hadn’t seen her in ten years, instead of a month. “I’ve missed you. It’s so weird not having you around anymore.”

Rey had a master plan for getting her two friends used to her absence: telling them about all of her travel plans. She had always wanted to travel, and both of her friends knew it. Being able to talk about Ben openly was so freeing for her, and she loved that Ben continued to keep touching her no matter where they went or what they did. 

Even when they went swimming in the water, searching for creatures, at least one tentacle was always touching her protectively. 

She wanted the whole world to know that she was with Ben, and that he was _hers._

“You better get used to it. Ben intends to take me to many exotic places as we search for new things to research. Plus, I want to have more new things for the blog.”

“It’s really great so far! Well, if he’s going to spoil you with travel, then I guess I’ll let you go,” said Rose jokingly, pulling away and approaching Ben. “I’m Rose Tico. Everyone gets a hug, especially my best friend’s boyfriend.”

“I like hugs,” he said, shocking her and Amilyn. “More of a touchy-feely guy myself, as Rey will tell you.”

“She did _not._ She was holding back, the minx,” said Rose, rushing into Ben’s arms and finding it hard to breathe when he squeezed. She didn’t speak until he loosened his grip. “Wow. Now that’s a hug.”

“Swimming surrounded by those arms is wonderful, and being carried by them is my favorite thing ever,” gushed Rey, leaning the side of her head on Ben’s forearm.

“She does love talking about you; it’s nice to see her face. She is our Rey of Sunshine. Thanks for bringing the sun back up here, Ben,” said Rose before all sat. “I must admit I’ve been very curious to meet you. Rey is a great person.” 

“The best,” agreed Ben, smiling softly at Rey before meeting Rose’s eyes. “And a superior cook.”

“I could tell you so many embarrassing stories about our kitchen adventures,” said Rose conspiratorially. 

“Tell me all of them, and I’ll share ours,” he responded, his face equally thrilled to talk about Rey.

That was the moment that Rey knew that all would be well. Ben could talk shop with Amilyn, the Caribbean and the seas with Poe, and herself with Rose. They all smiled and talked to him at various points, and she kept on dropping hints about travel for her blog, as well as eventual marriage. 

It wasn’t until the end that Amilyn approached her. “You two are both goners for one another. I didn’t think it was possible in such a short time.”

“We’ve bonded a lot,” said Rey, making Amilyn snort. 

“In bed.”

Rey rolled her eyes. “You’d be surprised; it is equal amounts in bed and the beach,” said Rey, making Amilyn grin. “But that’s not all the ways we’ve bonded.”

Amilyn touched the claiming mark on her arm. “I see that. He likes giving you love bites as well, judging by the two I’ve seen so far.”

“It’s all a part of our _unusual_ sex life. I mark him, too,” said Rey, like it was the most normal thing ever. 

“You obviously love it. You know each other well because of it. I was concerned that he wouldn’t carry through on taking you on all of those trips, but considering how well he knows so many areas …“

“He will.” Rey was confident about that. She pointed to the ocean. “His family is in the Caribbean now, so we’re visiting them next while we look for new friends for the lab. We’ll see every ocean by the time I’m done.”

Placing her hands on Rey’s shoulders, Amilyn said, “I’m happy for you, Rey. Truly. I want to know how you can afford to make it all happen, but I suppose that's one of the many things about him that shall go unanswered?”

Rey’s eyes twinkled. “Yes. Just know that he’s unique, and his family is well-off.”

The purple-haired woman’s eyes narrowed. “I see. They have to be wealthy to travel so much. Well, when you go to the Pacific, keep your eyes peeled for a Giant Pacific octopus. If you ever come across some of its venom, I’d love to get my hands on more.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” promised Rey, hugging her farewell. “This will be the last time for a while. I suspect we’ll be at sea exploring for most of the year once I’m used to traveling.”

Amilyn’s eyes turned glassy. “Living the dream, then. So proud of you.”

“Good-bye, Amilyn,” she said as Ben came forward and hugged her good-bye as well.

“Godspeed, world travelers. May the tides be with you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading and being so patient with me. 
> 
> If you can't get enough of the tentacles, I actually posted a new tentacle fic recently, and you can find it [Part of Your World](Part%20of%20Your%20World) here.
> 
> If you're wanting other things to read, I wanted to highlight my beta and moodboard creator's works. They have some amazing stories. Automatic_badgirl has a series of two fics set in the 1920s with a little kink that I adore, and you can find [The Arrangement](The%20Arrangement) here. 
> 
> If you're in more of an A/B/O mood, check out this geeky, modern AU one called [Conventional Love](Conventional%20Love) here.


	17. Meet The Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey meets Ben's family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo update time! I upped the chapter count again...sorry not sorry. Legit for real, though, this is the last time I up the count. Anyway, who wants more fluff?
> 
> Thanks as always to [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl) for the beta read and to   
> [WinglessOne](WinglessOne) for the great moodboard!

"Is it time to leave yet?"

Ben chuckled as Rey danced in place, her whole body ready for their next trip. 

"Yes. Let me release Artoo and Threepio first."

They had been home for a couple of months to tend to the new friends that they had found in their travels to Maine, as well as to get Rey a passport. They rushed it, but it worked out in time. He had called his parents as soon as he got home in order to warn them that they were visiting. 

All of his family members chose different days during the week to come on land each month to make it appear as though they still lived in their home. Whenever they did, they'd check their phones and walk through the local market. 

Ben had left a voicemail with each of them to be on the safe side. 

The new additions at the lab had them working more, especially with the injured creatures Rey insisted they bring home and nurse back to health. Ben couldn't have been more proud of her compassionate heart, and neither minded more hours. 

Certainly, their nights were always heated, whether inside or outside, and they played as hard as they worked. The extra hours at work made Rey feel marginally better about all the time they spent together in their first month, even if he continued to remind her that breaks and bonding time were needed. 

He was still the one who kept them on task, and both knew that would never change. Rey was easily distracted by him, even if she loved her work. 

The blog was developing a following, and Rey seemed pleased, based on what he could see and hear from her. She kept feeding more photos and details of their new additions, besides progress with their current friends, and she made it a point to mention how they would be traveling again soon, so that no one would expect anything for two weeks. 

"I think I can make it the whole way swimming this time," said Rey as he said his silent good-byes to his old friends. "I've been practicing each morning with swimming."

He grinned at the thought of their new daily morning ritual, her dragging him into the sea to alternate between fast swimming and endurance swimming. While she enjoyed being in his arms while traveling, she still wanted to do her part. It was admirable in his eyes.

Letting Artoo and Threepio free into the ocean, he stood up and swung an arm around her. "If not, you'll come very close. Shall we?"

She was already in her wetsuit and carrying their dry bag, so when she nodded enthusiastically, he stripped and picked her up, carrying them to the ocean. 

The journey to Jamaica took all day again, but neither minded. Rey visited more different states, and as the water grew warmer and clearer, it was hard to dampen her spirits. He guided them lower as they passed through international waters, where they were most likely to be spotted. They had their passports just in case, but he had never needed it before when traveling underwater. 

Rey started peeking her head out of the water once they reached the shores of Jamaica. Too curious for her own good, she kept making ooh noises as new island scenes presented themselves. They followed along the coastline of picture-perfect sandy beaches until more trees and rocks appeared, hiding the home that was further inland, the land shaped like a semi-circle there.

Passing by the trees, they stopped in front of a large, sprawling, white home with a wraparound deck and floor-to-ceiling windows with billowy curtains. It sat on the edge of the turquoise water, and the couple climbed up the dock ladder to approach. 

As soon as Ben was dressed, the front door slammed open, and a horde of people all filed out. His mother, Uncle Luke, and Grandfather Anakin were more staid, but Grandma Padme was squealing with delight.

Han was Han about it, first in line with wide arms. "There's a sight for sore eyes! Welcome home, Ben!"

Both Ben and Rey were smothered with hugs, and she never smiled more as each family member took turns welcoming her. It put Ben at ease knowing that they accepted her so easily. 

"I made something for your arrival; let's eat on the deck and chat," said Leia, linking arms with Rey. "I bet you're famished; I want to hear all about you. Han, Luke. Grab the food."

"Yes, ma'am," mock-saluted both men before they grabbed Ben and stole him away with them. 

"She seems nice and very pretty," commented Han as soon as they were inside. "Is she a lover of everything aquatic?"

"Of course she is; he's already claimed her," said Luke before turning to Ben. "You didn't waste any time with her."

"She's it for me. I knew it almost as soon as I met her," said Ben unabashedly. 

"So you're continuing the family tradition," joked Luke, picking up a tray of steaming seafood. "It took father almost ten years to change mom, even after they had been together. Maybe three years for your parents. Now it's less than a year."

"When you know, you know," said Han, handing more food to his son.

"Are you three going to continue your hen party in there, or do I get time with my grandson soon?" called Anakin, more crusty in his old age. 

"Hold your tentacles. We're coming," grumbled Han. 

At sunset, everything seemed perfect to Ben. Soft purples and pinks filled the sky above the last of the burning sun as it traveled below the horizon. With the blue seas and light breeze in the muggy air, it made the mood ideal for introducing Rey to the family. 

As he stopped to take in how the women in his family swarmed Rey and made her feel wanted and welcome, Ben knew that he had come home at last. Leia crossed her legs with her hands in her lap as she listened intently to Rey. Grandma Padme kept a wrinkled hand on Rey's wrist at all times, a giant grin plastered on her face. Grandfather Anakin sat beside his wife, watching the women with a serene expression. 

Ben shoved a chair next to Rey between her and Leia, and all the attention switched to him. Rey didn't seem to mind, curious to watch him and his family interact, and he told everyone what he had been doing for work since the last time he saw them. 

They talked long into the night. Alcohol and food flowed as freely as the conversation. Ben and Rey took turns telling everyone about their future plans and the blog, and everyone was curious. As soon as Rey showed it to them, they were impressed.

Perhaps the only time it grew quiet was near the end when Ben brought up Snoke. All were relieved that that threat was gone, but all knew the terror of being hunted. It took Han burping and congratulating the new couple to get everyone buzzing again, Leia and Anakin scolding him about the belch. 

At the end of the night, all retreated into their bedrooms for sleep, and as soon as the door was closed, Rey was in Ben's arms, a joyful expression on her face.

"They already consider me part of the family," she gushed. "Can you believe it?"

"If you're willing to be claimed by me, knowing what I am so soon, I believe it," he said, nuzzling her hair. "Ready to sleep?"

"Yes. I'm bone-tired," she agreed, melting into his embrace. "Thank you."

"I've done little. It's all you and your openness to me," he said, bending over to swoop her into his arms.

"A match made in heaven, then," she said, snuggling close to him as he reached the bed. 

After stripping, they spooned peacefully under a top sheet, Ben massaging Rey to sleep. This was everything he wanted, and more.

\----------

The next morning, Rey was well-rested and still in awe. The room was airy and bright, lit up with pastel blues and yellows, and even the bug screen they kept around the bed didn't bother her. Everything floated in the warm breeze, and the sun was already peeking out. 

"Good morning," she whispered in Ben's ear. Peppering kisses along his face and jaw, she grinned at watching him wake up, letting him press her against him to snuggle.

They cuddled in bed until Uncle Luke banged on the door.

"Stop your canoodling and come outside for breakfast. We want to talk to you two, too. We've got plans for you."

Rey didn't realize how many plans they had, but she soon found out. She received a more thorough family history lesson from Anakin and Padme, and Han took some time to warn her about what to expect as she was turned into one of their kind.

Luke and Leia stole Ben away during that time, but they reconvened for dinner, leaving the house and showing Rey all that Jamaica had to offer. The following day, she and Ben wandered the streets alone, and it felt like a true vacation.

After a few more days cooped up in the house, Luke got up one evening and said, "This is all very nice, but I'm sure you're just as curious as to how the other half of us lives."

Nodding excitedly, Rey was swept up in the conversation about what to expect when she visited their second, larger home within the reefs. Luke couldn't wait to go back and see his wife, who was watching over everything. 

"She's coming with me first, though. I want her to see our lair," reminded Ben as he took her hand.

"Our lair?" she queried, heart stuttering in her chest.

"What's mine is yours. Ours," he said in response, kissing her. "Tomorrow you can finally see it."

Rey could hardly sleep that night in anticipation, but she somehow did. Mostly because Ben transformed his bottom half into an octopus and gently stroked her between her legs until she was wet and needy. 

She moaned at wanting more, and two tentacles entered her mouth at that. "I don't want anyone to hear us," he whispered before inserting one tendril inside her pussy and thrusting with ease. "Ready to practice?"

What they had been experimenting with at night before the trip was if Ben could fill her ass with three tentacles. It was slow-moving, but they were close to achieving it.

Rey lay on her side and lifted her leg, resting it on him to give him the best access. Before long, he worked two tentacles inside her ass, the familiar stretch welcome to her now. As she sighed, her body went lax, just as practiced. 

The proud look on his face, combined with his encouraging words through the bond, told her everything she needed to know as she threaded her hands in his hair, anchoring herself to him. The third entered her ass, unhurried and tentative. 

As he touched familiar territory, she breathed heavily through her nose and met his steady gaze. When the burn began, she sucked his two tentacles harder, hoping they muffled her enough. 

She had found that the best way to forget about her pain was to focus entirely on Ben. On the warm, loving feelings he had for her, and normally she kissed him, experiencing that and his thoughts that streamed out of him as he marveled at how good she felt and how well she was doing. This time was a nice change, as she got to taste more of him in the process.

With him, she could forget about herself and live on the pleasure he felt, knowing one day it would be just as good for her. 

_ Almost there. _

She felt his growing excitement in the way he vibrated and how quiet he became through the bond. Every part of him was concentrating, wanting to push her just a little further, and she was endlessly amazed at how much he cared. 

For her, she knew how close he was to bottoming out inside her ass based on how many suckers slid in. He was two away from matching the other tentacles, so when one hand clutched her shoulders to hold her in place, she relaxed a little more.

"That's it," he whispered, showering her face with kisses. "I think we can do it this time. Final push."

One sucker inched its way in, and it didn't make her want to cry out in agony. Relieved, she licked the length of one tentacle, encouraging him to take the plunge. 

The last suction cup eased into her tight little hole, and she breathed easy at last.

"We did it."

For a while, they lay there, celebrating their victory and relishing how she squeezed him. When he judged that he had been there long enough, he began thrusting, determined to make her come. As tightly wound as she was from him, she didn't last long, and he managed to muffle most of her cries that filled the darkened room. 

She slept peacefully after that, weaving herself around him and insisting that all his tentacles held her somehow. Each limb had a tentacle wrapped around it, and her torso had two, blanketing it in warmth while his arms cradled her face.

All in all, it was perfect.

\-----

"Love birds, we still heard you last night! Wake up!"

It wasn't the best way to wake up, but it made both laugh. Once they had eaten, the whole family filed onto the dock, a current of anticipation filling the humid air. 

Rey paid attention to Leia, who was looking every which way before she turned to her family expectantly. "The coast is clear."

"It better be out here. We're in the middle of nowhere, secluded by nature," snarked Han. 

"Stop bickering like an old married couple," shot Anakin, shaking his head at the pair.

"We  _ are _ an old married couple," intoned Leia, hands going to her hips.

"Nonsense. You're young.  _ I  _ am old," insisted Anakin, receiving a playful whack on his arm from his wife.

"And what am I? Chopped liver?"

"No. You are forever young and beautiful. Absolutely perfect," soothed Anakin, kissing his wife. "I am crusty and old having to deal with these young hooligans."

"I'm getting old here watching you all argue," interrupted Luke. "I'm diving in. See you at dinner."

Once he dove in, everyone followed until it was only Ben and Rey left. They all stuck their heads out of the water, big smiles on their faces as they floated.

"Have all of you already transformed?" asked Rey curiously, not surprised when all nodded. 

What she didn't expect was for a gaggle of tentacles to wave at her, all of them a different color for each person. Leia's were a striking cream compared to her husband's brown ones, and Luke's were a dark silver. Anakin was a dark blue, while Padme's were violet. 

"Come on in! The water's fine," encouraged Leia, waving at Rey.

"May not be safe with so many--ow! What was that for?" asked Han when a light-colored tentacle playfully hit the back of his head.

"Hush. Both of you," sighed Padme, before giving both young people a soft look. "Don't mind them. Take all the time you want. We will all crowd around you later, Rey, when Mara Jade can join us."

"She's one of the prettiest ones. Her skin really looks like jade," whispered Ben as the whole family disappeared. "You ready to see our lair?"

"Yes! Shall we jump in together?" she suggested, checking her bikini one last time.

"Let's."

They landed with a large splash, and his many limbs quickly surrounded her, leading her toward their destination. As they swam, he explained how each couple had a part of the reef claimed for their underwater home, and how there was a larger area where all met together to chat and eat. Their family ties allowed them all to talk freely underwater when close, lucky for them. 

The lair was further away than she expected, but he eventually explained that they did it on purpose, to make sure that no one stumbled upon both parts of their lives at the same time.

_ We have arrived. Just around this rectangular patch of coral is where you and I will be spending much time in the future. _

He sounded so pleased. Kissing his cheek, she raced ahead, too antsy to wait. Past the blush-colored coral was a circle of tan-colored reefs, and she just knew she had to follow the tunnel created by it. The hole created was much bigger than her, so she kicked her legs and trailed her fingers along the hard coral that led her to a wide opening. 

While the Caribbean was always clear and bright, this section of coral was a darker brown because it blocked out the sunlight. Strings of shells lined the ceiling of coral, along with bright anemones that sprouted out like flowers. 

Bits of seaweed and algae grew at various points below, near the coral and on the ground. Not only did those plants reside there, but so did fish! Fish of all shapes and colors darted into the reef, and Rey delighted in watching the special aquatic ecosystem up close. When she dragged her eyes away, two large, red sea anemones lay off to one side, and she had a feeling that would become their shared bed. 

Elsewhere in the lair, various trinkets and items littered the area, a rotted-out treasure chest with gold coins inside it, as well as an anchor that looked similarly ancient as it rested near a blazing red patch of coral. When she got closer to the items, she also noticed that an old barrel was stuffed in a corner, along with the propeller from a modern boat.

_ That propeller was the closest a boat came to me here. I followed the boat back to shore and stole it so that it couldn't come back. _

She nodded in understanding as he curled around her, face going to hers.

_ What do you think of your new home? _

She loved it. She loved everything about it, how it seemed touched by humans, and yet was not. How life seemed to teem here, despite the lack of light, and how everything was beautiful.

Just like Ben. 

As soon as her arms looped around his neck, she dragged him to the large, red bed. He deepened the kiss, laying her down amid the soft, swaying tentacles of the anemone and removing her bikini with a quick flick of his wrists, ripping it easily. 

Everything felt warm in the Caribbean, even her bed. The backs of her legs and her back all enjoyed the new sensation from the bed as he kissed his way up her body, worshipping every inch until he came to her lips with a hungry look.

_ Would you like to christen our lair right now? _

Grinning, she reached for his opening. As soon as his cock emerged, she grasped it, leading it toward its rightful home, inside her pussy. With a growl, he lifted her off the bed so that she free-floated in the water, legs splayed for him. 

_ One day we'll do this in the open water of the Caribbean, so I can see the dappled sunlight on your skin as I make you cum. _

Such images made her giddy, and her body gushed in anticipation, excited to be out in the open with him. 

His hand tilted her chin up to meet his gaze while the other slipped three fingers inside her.  _ So wet for me already. Do you want to try three again? _

She nodded emphatically, and at that moment, she didn't need sunshine or light. She had Ben, brightening the place with his glow of attraction and loving eyes. He was the light of her life, filling her otherwise boring, busy life with new depths she never knew possible. The possibilities with him were endless, and he was the heart and center of her, where everything revolved. Anything could happen, so long as she had him. 

His weeping cock entered her until she fit like a glove around him, taking him as deep as she could. Next came the two tentacles inside her mouth, and she deep-throated them like a pro, eager for all he could give her. A single tendril circled each bare breast, suctioning to her nipples in the way she loved. Finally, he entered her ass, one at a time. Two went in easily, but the third was still a challenge since she wasn't used to being stretched in both places at the same time. 

Still, they persevered, and Rey continued to relax her body, allowing him to go further than they ever had while his monster cock was inside her.

She began a countdown in her head as the number of suckers inside her increased, so that only a few remained. At five left, things started to get very tight, but she urged him on anyway. At four, she sucked harder on him, and his burgeoning desire got her through four and three. 

This was farther than he had ever been able to make it before, and this alone was cause for celebration in her mind. 

_ Just a little further. We can share another first in our new, second home after that. _

The thought of having that special first time with him in his lair thrilled her, and she rocked her hips, encouraging him to go on, despite her body's resistance. 

When the new second-to-last one squeezed in, they had to wait for a bit, but they made the most of it. He moved her so she was laying more horizontally in the water, her back arching as the pain of the stretch eventually turned to pleasure. 

Her eyes held his as she nodded. Yes, it was time. 

With a slight push, his third tentacle thrust home at last, and he pulled out the ones in her mouth so that he could kiss her repeatedly. 

_ You did it. We did it. I'm so proud of you. This is my new favorite memory here, and I want to make even more here. _

His thoughts flew by as his bliss turned his thoughts into a stream of consciousness, everything sweet and supportive being shared with her. 

When she was finally ready for him to move, he gave her everything she could've imagined, filling her mouth again and pumping in and out of her in all three holes. Her body jerked and arched as pleasure ripped through her, and she never wanted him to stop moving as his tentacles bulged and arced into her from all directions. 

As her breathing became shallower, his thrusts became more erratic. He went harder as his orgasm neared, it feeding and quickening her own, and she rode the wave of need that he created, letting it build and crescendo within her until it crashed. That orgasm was the strongest one yet, and it depleted everything within her and as it brought her to the highest heights. 

When she felt how he spurted hot jet after jet of his cum and lubricant inside her in his explosive release, she reveled in it, happy to be his. 

As they came down from their shared high, they floated onto their bed. The two tendrils in her mouth left her and circled her midsection, allowing his lips to find hers. He blanketed her with his body, and she had never felt more comfortable or safe, there within the circle of his embrace.

For a long time, they lay there in their afterglow, breathing in one another's presence. Rey marveled at how full she was as he remained inside her, trying to help her get used to the size. When they finally felt like moving, he pulled out of her fully and found her a string of shells to replace her bathing suit. After that, they left their love nest, seeking more colorful reefs until they finally found the rest of his family.

The first thing Rey noticed was Mara Jade. Her bottom half looked as smooth and perfect as jade when the sunlight sparkled on it, the lightest shade of sea green Rey had ever imagined. 

Luke and Mara were attached to one another by a pair of crossed tentacles, as were everyone else. Rey felt a little sad that she couldn't do that with Ben yet, but it was all a matter of time. 

When she snuck a glance at him, he seemed to be of a similar mind, eyes sad but hopeful. Instead, they linked arms and joined the rest of the Skywalkers.

As soon as they reached the center of the group, everyone converged on them, and Rey understood what Padme had meant about crowding her.

_ All they want is to welcome you properly to the family. _

Being held by Ben and his tentacles was always special, but this was something else. They wanted to welcome her properly, and they surely did. For once, not a bit of skin on her was left uncovered, except for her face. Happy faces and familial embraces surrounded her, and in that moment, she knew she had finally found her family. 

There was such an outpouring of love at her coming, no sense of fear or distrust, and she was glad to know all of them. They were the family she always longed for. 

After a long embrace, Ben gingerly led Rey to the surface while the rest of the family hunted, bringing back dinner. While Rey leaned against the metal ladder of the dock, the rest of the Skywalkers floated in the water, chatting amongst themselves. 

They didn't leave the water until it was dark, and Rey was pruny and sore when she crawled into bed with Ben. 

As they spooned, he asked, "What did you think of today?"

His hands found her breast and hips, holding them protectively. She sighed into him, grasping his waist to pull him closer. "I think it was my favorite day of vacation yet. I've never been more excited to join your family, Ben," she said, snuggling into him and her pillow."I love you."

"I love you, too. When you're ready for the next step, I am, too," he whispered into her hair.

\-----------

The rest of their vacation and work trip was just as satisfying, and Ben couldn't have been happier. 

Rey found new friends to bring back to the lab, and she spent every bit of time she could with each of his family members. They got to explore the island for food now and then, thanks to recommendations from Poe, and on the last day of their trip, Rey was led away by Grandma Padme and Grandfather Anakin to see something. 

He didn't understand why he wasn't invited until his mother and father approached him. 

"So, when are you marrying and mating with her?" asked Leia without preamble.

"I hope you're having kids. The way you two go at it, you should have several," added Han, making Ben cough. "I really want grandkids."

"As do I, but I try not to say it point blank, especially  _ before they're married _ ," gritted out Leia, giving her mate a scolding look. 

Han shrugged and raised his hands helplessly. "We all heard them do it at least three times in the past two weeks. It's inevitable."

The older woman sighed and faced her son. "Either way, it's easy to see how happy you are. She seems to embrace this life more than any of our mates did, especially so soon into the relationship."

"Hey! When you're used to your girlfriend hugging you with arms only, it's weird having multiple arms grip your legs at first," protested Han. Clearing his throat, he reined himself back in as his wife gave him an exasperated look. "Rey's really good for you, Ben. We're happy for you."

"And we wish you every happiness. We want to give you something," said Leia as Han produced a sapphire ring with tiny diamonds circling it. "This is for Rey when you're ready."

"Grandma's ring," Ben breathed, taking it and unable to stop staring at it. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. As we speak, Mom is telling Rey about all the memories she shared with Dad through that ring, and she is showing Rey photos of it, so she'll know the significance of it when the time comes," said Leia proudly. 

"There's already a betting pool about when you'll propose, turn her, get married, and have kids," said Han, lightly punching Ben's shoulder. "Don't fail me, kid."

Ben would've returned the request with a snarky response, but that was when Rey appeared in his periphery. Instead, he hid the ring and prepared to leave. 

After one more round of hugs, Ben and Rey left. When their heads hit their pillows later that night back at home in the lab, it was with light hearts and weary bodies, another successful trip under their belts.

"Where do you want to go next?" he asked as they cuddled and drifted asleep. 

"The Pacific Ocean."

"We're going to cheat and fly there, I think," he said, making her chuckle. "There's a lot to see there."

"We can make a month of it. We'll see all along the Pacific Rim," she said dreamily. "As well as the deepest, darkest parts of the sea."

"Whatever you wish."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Also, in case you're wondering where I got the design for Kylo/Ben's lair from, it was based on this image given/created by AppalachianCold. Thank you so much for this! I love it! I hope I did it justice.


	18. The Turning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben turns Rey into one like him, and Rey claims Ben.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! I'm back! After a bit of a delay and making you wait, I have finished writing this fic! All that's left after this is the epilogue. I hope you like fluff and smut.
> 
> As always, thank you to [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl) for beta reading and to   
> [WinglessOne](WinglessOne) for absolutely beautiful moodboard!

After Jamaica, they spent another couple months at the lab, hyping the blog and practicing their swimming in preparation. Rey learned to swim faster, and Ben learned to match her smaller strokes. 

For their month-long trip, Ben stepped up his planning game. Once he remembered how cold it was there, he found deeper parts of the Atlantic to visit to make sure Rey could handle the cold. They chose a route of places to visit, skipping over the coldest parts to the north and south so that they could find the darkest, coldest valleys in the center. 

They discussed many things, not without the occasional argument, and while they remained there, they received more visitors than ever before. Amilyn and Poe visited for a weekend, and even his grandparents stayed for a short stint before they ventured north. 

When it was time to leave for their next adventure, Ben was glad to have Rey beside him on the plane, as he hated flying. Or really any type of transport that wasn't in the water. 

He was anxious in the car and through the short security line at Norfolk International Airport, tapping his feet and hands repeatedly until Rey restrained him. When he buckled into his window seat, his hands shook, so Rey turned and held his hand. 

"When you said you got nervous, I didn't realize it would be this bad. Do you want me to order you some alcohol?" she asked, using her other hand to rub circles into his knee and thigh. 

"No. It doesn't help. I've tried," he said breathing a little more easily as her familiar touch soothed him. "This is actually the calmest I've felt on a flight. You have the magic touch."

"Good. I'll find another way to help," she promised with a smirk. 

When they got ready to move, Rey squeezed his hand, and as soon as they picked up in preparation for take-off, she kissed him soundly. If her hand strayed and palmed him through his pants, no one noticed. 

Ben forgot all about his fear of flying as he feared sporting a boner as she unzipped his pants quietly and expertly pumped him. He had to hold back a whine as her hardened nipples brushed against him, and she didn't stop kissing and touching him until he whimpered. 

Tucking him away with a sweet smile, she adjusted herself and sat back down primly. He couldn't stop staring at her and how brazen she was. It was one of many reasons he loved her. 

He was hard as a rock for a time, and that distracted him thoroughly as he stole her jacket to hide the evidence of his arousal. When his fear of flying came back, Rey just "happened" to bump into him and his pants a couple more times, and he wasn't sure if she was the best or worst girlfriend ever.

The nerves came back to him when he realized he needed to get up and use the bathroom. He dreaded doing it, but Rey encouraged him, so he did. He was about to lock the door on himself when someone yanked the door open, making him jump.

At least until he saw that it was Rey, wearing a coquettish smile. She lifted a finger to her lips as she closed and locked the door awkwardly behind her, wiping down the area around them with a couple sanitizing wipes. 

"Rey, what are you doing--"

"I'm here to help you, of course," she purred, kissing him. "But you have to stay silent."

His back was leaning against the wall at a weird angle, and he stepped back to make space for her, only to be stopped soon after by the toilet. "But why?" he asked, surprised when she clapped a hand over his mouth. 

"Because I'm going to help you unwind in the best way I know," she whispered, grasping his hard length. 

_ Then _ he understood. His cock went from half-mast to fully erect in moments. As his face and ears went red, she got onto her hands and knees.

"Rey, this isn't going to work," he hissed. "I barely fit in this thing, let alone both of us. I'm going to break the toilet or the sink, or maybe both. And how can I touch you--"

"You don't," she intoned with a playful glint in her eye. "This is all about you and making you feel good and relaxed." When he was still reluctant, she gave him wide eyes and pleaded softly, "I hate seeing you like this, and you always take care of me. Let me do this for you. Please."

Sighing, he nodded and anchored himself on the cool, plastic sink and the wall. "Okay. Just this once."

She grinned and pulled down his pants to his knees, eyeing his cock like she had just found a three-course meal. Her hungry gaze put him a little at ease, knowing that she gave as good as she took. 

"Relax, Ben," she coached. "I've been dreaming about having airplane sex with you ever since we bought our tickets. This was inevitable."

"I don't deserve--"

He was robbed of all words when she licked a hot stripe up him from base to tip. As she swirled her tongue around his throbbing head, her fingers traced each vein, followed by her tongue. By then, he was panting. 

She looked up at him through her lashes. "You taste so good already, Ben, but I want more."

He tried to speak, but she played with balls before taking his shaft into her tight, little mouth. It was heaven. Her skillful hands and tongue made quick work of him before she had even taken him halfway. 

When she noticed that he was already close, she took him all the way, and his hands found her scalp, ruining her buns as he gripped them tightly. 

"Rey," he warned weakly, pulling on her hair.

"Use me, Ben," she said with her mouthful. "I'm yours."

Letting out a growl, he did that. She went up and down his length at the speed he loved, but he soon took over, ramming into her mouth with abandon, seeking his release. The pressure built within him until it was too much, and when she sucked him harder, he let go, emptying himself inside her mouth as he bit down on his lip and doubled over, clutching her for support. 

As he came down from his high, Rey swallowed and cleaned them up, doing her best to make her hair seem normal. Eventually she gave up and zipped up his pants. After that, she left, instructing him to wait a few minutes. When he left, he still received many side-eyes, but he didn't care. He felt comfortable on a plane at last.

She held his hand throughout the flight, and he appreciated it. He appreciated it so much that at one point he placed her jacket on her lap to give her a quickie with his hand. Then, he was happy. 

The rest of the flight was fine; he could see himself looking forward to flying if Rey continued wanting to do such things. As they stepped onto dry land in California, he was relieved while she bounced with excitement and picked up their bags. She dragged him to their Uber, impatient to be at their first bed and breakfast, and he loved watching her face and hearing her running commentary as she saw new things. 

The desert seemed so different from the sea, and even though Rey knew it well from her childhood, she still found more to surprise her. 

This was how he wanted every trip to go, having Rey at his side as he faced the good and bad parts of travel. Making new memories. As they toasted champagne and ate at a fancy restaurant that night, he knew that this was the time to ask her to marry him. 

He had never found the right moment before, and he was his father's son when it came to planning ahead. As a result, it was while they were walking along the sandy beach after breakfast the next day, with the chilly water hitting their toes, that he stopped to point out a lighthouse. 

"I've always been fond of lighthouses. No matter how stormy or poor the conditions are, those lighthouses are there, guiding the way," he said. "A constant in otherwise chaos."

Her attention was captured by the bright light that the tall tower emitted regularly. "Can we go up there?"

"Should be able to. Come on," he said, poking her side and running. "Last one there gets thrown into the ocean."

"Not fair! You're taller than me!" she cried, sprinting to catch up.

"Then I'm going to enjoy carrying you into the ocean later." He beat her easily, and he took the extra moments to read the open hours of the lighthouse and attached museum. As soon as she caught up, he captured her in his arms, coming from behind and picking her up around the middle. "You're mine now."

The panting sounds she had been making turned into a hum as she leaned into him. "Yes, I am."

Every time she affirmed it, it made his heart flutter. His stomach used to twist in knots that she would choose him, unable to believe it after so much rejection, but the longer he was with her, the more she banished all such fear and feelings from him. 

Kissing her cheek, he whispered, "Let's check out the museum while we catch our breath. After that, we'll make the long climb to the top."

After some time reading the history of the lighthouse, they took the small, rickety, wooden stairway to the top of the lighthouse. Ben had to constantly duck his head, and even then, he still bumped his head several times. When they finally made it outside, though, Rey turned around and pulled the crown of his head down to her height, kissing the injury away.

"Better?" she asked, light dancing in her eyes. 

"It's always better with you." They stared into one another's eyes, the rest of the world falling away. Closing the distance between them, he brought her head against his chest, wanting her to feel his trembling heart. "Everything feels right with you. You're the missing part of my soul, of my life."

"Ben," she breathed, nuzzling him. "I feel the same way."

"Look at this view. It's truly one of a kind," he coaxed, taking small steps together to the edge of the platform, until her front was pressed against the railing. 

When he heard her gasp, he tightened his grip, making sure she knew he was close and had her.

The spectacular view left him without words. It was almost as good as Rey. In the gray, early morning, the sun wasn't high in the sky yet, and it was hidden behind many clouds. Still, the big, silver clouds filled the horizon, creating a distinct difference between the deep blue of the ocean and the grey sky. The ocean went on for miles in almost every direction, and where it didn't, another contrast was created with the jagged coastline, patches of green dotting the sandy lines that spread out on either side of them.

When he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine himself back in Virginia Beach or Jamaica. Seagulls cried in the background as the waves crashed and left. The air was cooler but pleasant, as fitting later in the year. 

Best of all, he could smell Rey's fruity shampoo and her unique scent, and it penetrated every part of him, seeping into his bones and making its home in his heart. 

"Beautiful," she said, voice small. 

"Yes, you are," he said, smirking when she turned around to give him a scolding look. 

"Ben, how can you be staring at me at a time like this? We have this whole, gorgeous ocean laid out in front of us. We have to study and protect it. We should be treasuring these special moments."

"I am," he said, turning her to face him. A part of him rejoiced at her response, at how much she cared about his home environment. "There's a reason I wanted to bring you here, and why I want you to see every ocean, to appreciate all that we have.” His voice grew softer. “I've been blessed to see all of them already, and I can't wait to share those adventures with you. I want to make these your home as much as they are mine."

She melted into his arms. "Me too. I still can't believe we're here."

"We are. We did it," he said, kissing her forehead. "I want to make so many memories with you. Today and every day going forward."

"Ben?" she asked, a note of surprise entering her voice as he knelt in front of her.

"I've loved every moment with you and loved you almost since I saw you. I can't imagine anyone else being at my side and living this adventure called life with me," he said, digging into his pocket as her face lit up.

She tried to speak, but after a silent plea, she closed her mouth, letting him say his piece. 

"I thought I'd always be alone, never finding someone who would love me for me. But I was wrong," he said, pulling out the ring. "You stood by me in good times and bad, and you've become the light of my life, my reason to live and my own personal lighthouse. Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Her eyes lit up when she recognized the sapphire, and she basically tackled him to the ground. She held still just long enough to let him put Grandma Padme's ring on her finger, and then she was everywhere, kissing his face and clutching fistfuls of his hair. "I've never wanted something more in my life."

For several minutes, they basked in their love and returned feelings, the soft breeze playing with Rey's hair until he pushed it back behind her ear and helped them stand up. 

"I'll never stop looking at you, or taking care of you," he said. "No one knows me as well as you do, and I'd give my life for you."

"You never have to as long as we are together." Kissing him again, she led him to the stairwell. "Let's get out of here. I want to tell everyone the good news before we begin our day for work."

He grinned. "Of course. Let's tell everyone."

Once on the sand, Rey squealed into her phone several times as she shared her joy with others, and Ben watched how her eyes kept darting to him every few minutes. He proudly called each family member in the meantime. Only his father picked up, but he more than made up for the rest.

"If you're calling this soon, there must be good news. Which betting pool am I winning today?" quipped Han.

"Did everyone really think I'd wait a long time to propose and do everything with her, given how close we were already?" asked Ben, mystified as he ran an exasperated hand through his hair. 

Han laughed. "They thought you'd wait at least a year to appear  _ normal _ ."

Ben could hear his father use air quotes over the phone and smiled. "Well, I never was."

"Nope. No point in trying to appear that way, either. You're your father's son; when you find someone good, you snatch her up."

"I have," said Ben proudly, glancing at Rey again. "We're engaged."

Han lost his voice for a moment, and when it came back, it was choked. "I'm happy for you, Son. Truly. Really proud."

Ben’s voice was equally small. "Thanks, Dad."

"Does that mean you're turning her soon as well?" asked Han, not afraid to pry. 

"It depends on what she wants." Rey looked at him at hearing mention of her, and she glowed under his gaze. Ben felt his insides turn to jello. On a murmur, he said, "But the odds are good, especially when she looks at me like that."

"Don't let history and tradition stand in your way. Do what makes you happy," insisted Han. "Especially if it means I win two bets."

"I'm hanging up now. Thank you," said Ben, rolling his eyes. 

"I love you, Son."

"I know."

As Ben hung up, Rey skipped over, slinging an arm around him. "Did you have a nice chat with your dad?"

"Yes. He's very happy for us."

"Good. I really love your family. I hope we see them again soon." She gave him puppy dog eyes, and he smiled.

"We will, whenever we get married."

Her hands slid up his shirt, warming herself up. "I was thinking on the one year anniversary of when we first met."

"Perfect," he breathed, surrounding her in warmth. "Let's go back to bed and warm you up properly. You're going to need it after I dunk you in the ocean."

She gave him a scoffing look before commenting, "I'm surprised you're okay with taking the day off with our busy schedule."

"Sometimes you need to take a day off for bad behavior," he said with a wink. Growing more serious, he added, "Plus, I've worked a long time alone; I can do that anyday. What I don't always have is you.  _ You  _ are most important to me."

Her eyes softened, and he began to lift the black sweater she had stolen from him. 

"Besides," he said, removing the sweater and throwing it on the sand, "we just got engaged. We should live in the moment. Enjoy one another thoroughly."

"I couldn't agree more." A mischievous light entered her eyes, and she picked up the sweater. "Let's go a little closer to our place before you throw me in. I thought I saw a secluded little rocky section that we passed."

His cock stirred, and he linked arms with her, ready for whatever she had in mind. After walking some ways they found the rocks she remembered, and Rey pushed him to sit down. 

"If we're going into the water, let's do it properly," she teased, straddling his lap. 

As she rocked her hips against his, he was helpless but to respond in kind, gripping her hips and grinding against her as she slowly removed the tank top and camisole she wore, giving him a show. 

By the time her top half was naked, Ben was fully hard, and then she unbuttoned his flannel top, eager to press her chest against his bare one for warmth. Her lips found his clavicle and kissed their way up his neck and along his jaw until he heard her unzip his pants. 

"You want to have sex in the ocean again?" he asked, helping her remove her jeans. 

"No. Not yet," she said breathlessly. "Right here first. I have bigger plans for the ocean."

"You want to tell me?" he asked, groaning when his fingers dipped inside her and found her soaked. "Or shall I eat you out to force you to tell me?"

"All in good time. Right now, I just want your cock buried inside me, where it belongs," she said, getting up slightly to push her jeans past her hips. "Your turn."

She scrambled off of him so that they could both remove their pants fully, and then she settled herself back in his lap, lining him up with her drenched opening.

As soon as he entered her, both moaned in ecstasy.

"It doesn't get any better than this," she said, taking him in one, long thrust so he was fully seated inside her. "The feeling of you inside me."

He wanted to kiss her for saying such a thing, but he was still trying to calm his heartbeat from the way she swallowed him so well and quickly. "I'd disagree," he said, thrusting at the rhythm they preferred, strident and punishing. His voice grew strained. "I'd say you love it more when my tentacles are all buried inside you."

"This is still just as good," she said, body tightening in the telltale way he knew meant she was close. 

Given how close he was, he was relieved. Finding her clit, he stole her cries of bliss with his lips as they both came. After a time to share their bliss, he got up and carried them to the ocean.

"Time to clean us off and welcome you properly to the Pacific Ocean," he said, stepping in. 

"I'd like that. As long as I'm with the man I love," she said, wrapping her arms around him. 

"You always will be," he promised.

"I'd like to make it official. Right now," she said, turning in his grasp as he exhaled loudly. "Change me. Right here and now. In the ocean." She grinned. "I want to be like you and with you always."

His heart stuttered, and he thought he had never known true happiness until that magic moment. 

"Nothing would give me greater joy."

He walked deeper into the ocean and the rolling waves until the water went up to his chest. Letting her down carefully, he pressed her against his body to protect her from the cold and currents. 

"I'm surprised we're out so deep," she said, shivering at the freezing cold temperature of the water. "Is it really necessary?"

"When the venom goes through and changes you, you'll be thankful for a way to cool off." He nudged her cheek. "I promise I'll warm you up after that on the sand or in bed."

" _ After  _ I claim you. It's my turn," she reminded him, giving him her arm. "I'm ready."

"This will hurt a little--"

"I know. It'll be worth it," she interrupted. "This is what I want."

Satisfied, he lengthened his fangs and sunk them into her arm again, staying there longer to ensure the venom worked. As her heartbeat sped up, her breathing became frantic and shallow, her whole body shaking before she cried out in pain. 

As soon as she did, he gently removed his fangs and ran his arms up her back in a tight embrace, amazed at how feverish her skin became as she continued to make helpless, little noises. Her nails raked down his back and chest, or else she held him tight enough to bruise. He didn't mind, barely noticing the pain she gave him as he focused on her. He couldn't take the pain away, but he could be there for her through it all, reminding her that she wasn't alone. 

For a good hour, they stood like statues in the tossing waves, and Ben tracked Rey's progress as she became slightly more coherent and less overheated. 

“I believe you’re fully turned now,” he said proudly.

She did her best to mold herself to his frigid skin. "Oh good. Could you turn into a half-octopus?" she requested, hands delving into his hair. "I want to feel you everywhere. Your presence calms me down."

"Hopefully it cools you off," he said as she chuckled. 

She tugged a little harder on the raven strands. "No, but I don't care. The water does; I just want you."

"Of course." He changed and spiraled his tendrils around her, everywhere he could reach. As he did, it became abundantly clear that she was still very hot, and he tried to ignore the way he yearned to fill her. "This alright?"

"Tighter. Closer," she said, removing what little distance remained between their chests. With a pleased sigh, she admitted, "There's something so satisfying about being restrained by your tentacles."

"There's something I never knew I needed to hear," he said, nipping her chin and rubbing his hips against hers. "Anything else you want to share?"

"Yes," she answered, dark, lust-filled eyes meeting his, "I'm so wet for you right now."

His breath hitched, desire coursing through his veins, and he inserted the nearest tentacle he had inside her pussy, groaning when he slipped inside easily.

"Rey--"

"Keep thrusting. I want you to take me while I claim you. I want to know the exact moment you can hear my thoughts," she instructed, taking his right arm. 

"There's no guarantee I will," he reminded her sadly.

"You will. I'm sure of it," she said, touching her teeth. "How do I expand these?"

He chuckled and explained how to control her body, and when she performed it correctly after a couple tries, she looked so pleased with herself. 

"I can transform now. We're alike now, two halves of a whole," she declared, fingering her fangs momentarily. "This is better than Christmas."

She barely had her fangs in place before she bit him, mirroring his movements when he claimed her. For a moment, he felt the slight fissure of pain from her new venom, but soon it turned into heat. Loosening his grip on her legs, he filled her pussy to the hilt, hoping it placated his desire for her.

It didn't. It only increased the pressure within him as arousal made it hard to breathe or do anything that didn't involve touching her. 

He pumped his tendril in and out of her roughly, needing a way to work out the ever-increasing feelings of burning need, and he felt as though he would be consumed by his lust for her.

_ Add a second tentacle. _

He stopped moving to stare at her. "What did you say?"

She grinned. "Nothing."

"But you want something," he said, almost ready to believe that he could hear her thoughts at long last.

"I do." She looked absolutely smug as the heat between them climbed even higher.

_ Kylo, I want you to fill me with your tentacles. Three in each hole, until I'm bursting for you.  _

He felt another flood of arousal overwhelm him, and that was the moment he realized that what he was feeling was not just him, but Rey as well. His feelings seemed to pale in comparison to her strong ones, of how much she craved him, and he didn't think it was possible to love her more. 

"Oh yes."

She'd never asked for that before, and he found himself drowning in their shared passion for one another. As he let go of her everywhere with his tentacles, she kissed him, tangling her hands in his dry hair and separating her hips from his to give him space. 

"Why this?" he asked, inserting two tentacles into her ass as another glided inside her soaked pussy. 

"Because I've dreamed of having your cock inside me along with another tentacle. Then all of them will be inside me while your hands play with my breasts," she explained, laying her forehead against his.

As soon as her skin touched his there, a bolt of static electricity shocked him, even if it was impossible in the water. He didn't understand why it happened until their bond showed him a vivid image of Rey lying naked on the sand, her body being pummeled by six bulging tentacles and his cock as he filled her three holes with shallow, rapid thrusts, telling her to take it. Wherever they were joined, liquids dribbled out, the amount increasing as he filled her more forcefully each time. 

His cock itched to be inside her and to make her dream a reality. 

"Do you often dream like this?" he choked out, sheathing a third tentacle in her ass, relieved that it went in easier now.

"Oh yes, anytime I drink your lubricant. Why do you think I was so excited to have your tentacles inside me so quickly?" she asked, kissing him. "I dream about you so much."

"We're going to make every dream a reality," he vowed, slowly pushing a third into her pussy. "So tight."

_ So good. So impossibly full. _

He understood all the more why sex was better when mated. This blew everything out of the water. 

So often, it was easy to discount words, as they could never fully express someone's feelings. There was always a veil obscuring it, and for the first time, he saw and experienced the pure, raw emotions she had for him with the veil lifted. If he weren't so overcome by their mutual desire, he would've cried at being able to see her at her basest, most simple, knowing that he took up just as much residence in her heart and body and she did in his.

Her desire for him and equal devotion were on full display, and knowing that, he worked all the more to fulfill her request. He thought it curious as she mentally counted, at least until he discovered that she was counting every sucker that entered her, and how she grew a little more giddy that he was almost home.

"Rey, I--"

"Shh," she said, kissing him. "Don't go soft on me now. Kiss me and touch me. I need you and your love to get me through this last part."

"I couldn't stop if I tried," he croaked, plastering his lips to hers. 

She was everything accepting, warm, and perfect as she kept on encouraging him deeper, and he loved hearing how she responded to his praises, relaxing her body for him. That she focused on him, trusting him so completely with her body, left him speechless.

It made him accidentally shove the last of his tentacle into her completely, as excited and turned on by her total trust as he was. She made a whimpering noise as he felt pain lance through her, and he was so ashamed of himself.

"Rey, I'm so sorry. I--"

He tried to pull out, but her legs and body contracted, holding him there. "Don't be," she said, stopping him with a kiss. "You did what I wanted. I knew it would hurt. Please, stay." He protested mentally, only for her to add, "And don't hate yourself."

"How do you--oh," he said, remembering she could hear his thoughts, too. 

"I felt everything as it happened, and it was wonderful. I'm glad you know how much I love you, even when you push me beyond my limits and hurt me. I  _ do  _ trust you."

There was no lie to be found within her, only tenderness, and he was in awe at finding such a woman for his mate. His eyes dipped to look at where they were joined. He didn't feel any more pain from her, either, and he was astonished. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I love you." Her hands tilted his chin up as her dilated pupils met his. Clearing her throat, she said, "Now that we've had that discussion, I need you to move."

He knew what that meant. He reeled back one tentacle inside each hole and plunged them back in with relish. Rey's head flew back with a moan, and he was awash in the rising tide of her impending orgasm again. The next time, four tentacles plowed into her, and he kept it at four as he rutted into her, going as fast and hard as she begged, through the bond and otherwise. 

Before long, her body was jerking in time with his insistent thrusts, and her ragged voice as she begged him was almost enough alone to make him come.

"Kylo, yes, yes, please, more, I need you, so close, oh Kylo, please, Kylo, Kylo, I--"

Her voice became garbled as he finally moved all six at once. He felt how close she was, and his fingers slipped lower. She stopped him at her stomach.

"Kylo, wait. What about you?"

It was a valid question. He was so ready to come that his cock had already slipped out of his opening, pulsing and ready to release in the water. As focused as he had been on her pleasure, he had ignored his own needs.

He felt her sadness at once. "Kylo, your needs are just as important. You need to remember that. We can finally give to one another fully now; I don't want to forget you."

As her hands grasped his sensitive tip, he let out one solitary tear. She believed so much in him and in wanting to put him first in the same way as he did her, just like on the plane. It only convinced him more that he had chosen right and that she deserved to be deliriously happy. 

She brushed noses with him to bring him out of his thoughts. "Ben, you can fulfill my every dream later if you really want to. Right now, though, I just want to suck your cock."

_ I'm just as addicted to the taste of your cum as I am to having you buried inside my pussy, destroying it. _

His nostrils flared at that admission, and he tucked that information away for later as another idea came to him. She shivered at the heat in his eyes, and he felt their mutual pleasure spike.

_ One day, then, you can take my cock with your mouth while I drive four tentacles into each of your other abused holes. You'd like that, wouldn't you? _

"Yes!" she cried, a gush of arousal hitting his tentacles. "Please. You in full octopus riding me is…"

She didn't have to say anymore as her body and feelings supplied the answer. Feeling how much she was turned on by his full octopus form -- especially since he mostly did it with her as half-and-half -- was the best feeling ever, and he couldn't restrain himself. 

"Let's get you on the beach."

Lust made her slow. She nodded with heavy movements, caught up in the things he suggested, and he pulled them underwater, wanting to fully immerse them before they left the beach. 

He knew with absolute certainty once they survived this orgasm, they'd want to do nothing but cuddle, and he couldn't wait.

Neither really wanted to separate from the other to get onto the beach, so they made it work. They swam awkwardly with his arms and her limbs until it became shallower, and she rested her back against the sand, letting their combined movements push her further ashore. 

With her feet dangling in the water, they took up their favorite position for sex. He kissed her one last time and leaned up before his cock lengthened, and he didn't think he'd ever grow tired of her body's immediate response to see his engorged cock. As soon as it touched her lips, the full length of him turned red, and she licked the circumference of his head before pressing her tongue against his opening. 

_ Feed me, Kylo. Give me _ everything.

Her soul spoke to his soul, and he answered. He spurted onto her tongue, and within moments, she sucked his head into her mouth. With each bob of her head as she took a little more, he surged harder into her, trying to reciprocate the pleasure. 

Everything felt so  _ good  _ because of the bond. If he wasn't being pleasured by her mouth, he felt her spiraling need for him and how it increased with every move he made. This endless feedback loop had both working harder, sweat beading at their brows and chests heaving from so much activity. His hands pinched her nipples, and her whole body arched.

_ Please, Kylo. Please let me come. I'm so close. _

She was so  _ needy,  _ and it appealed to the most primal part of him. "Anything for you."

He slammed one tentacle inside her pussy, letting two suckers press against her most sensitive spot. Within moments, she climaxed, and her pleasure and the tightening of her jaw set off his. Together, they hurled over the edge into something bright and majestic, their shared thoughts through their bond further knitting their hearts together. 

He couldn't register anything at first, too lost in her shattering orgasm to comprehend anything. When he did, it was Rey's pleased moans.

_ Mmm you taste so good. _

He didn't understand until his cock dribbled out more cum for her, and she slurped it up with another groan. 

_ Give me more. Just a little more. _

Why did hearing that make him want to take her all over again? "Greedy, aren't we?"

He could hear her pout.  _ I'm allowed to be with my mate. _

He couldn't argue with that, and he didn't want to. Everything felt too special and perfect. "That you are."

He quickly found he was unable to use his tentacles as a chair to hold himself over her. He was too drained, so he fell onto his back beside her, still burrowed inside her everywhere. When he was fully deflated and she had drunk her fill, he left her mouth first, and then reluctantly pulled out everywhere else. Both still were having problems catching their breath, so they held hands, and that did more than anything else. He wallowed in her feelings of joy and ecstasy, and the only thing that gave him pause was a small, niggling thing at the edge of her consciousness. 

Thankfully she spoke soon after. "Ben, that was, I can't begin to describe---"

"You don't have to," he reminded her, getting on his side. "I already saw. How are you feeling?"

She grinned, glad that he still wanted her to tell him, instead of reading everything.

"So incredibly happy. Content. You?"

"The same honestly," he admitted, tracing her cheekbones. "But there's something tugging at you. What is it?"

She bit her lip. "It's small and silly--"

"Nothing is when it comes to you. Tell me. Perhaps I can help," he said, begging her with his eyes. 

"In my excitement to claim you and have my wicked way with you, I never got a look at my new octopus side, and I regret it. I wanted to see what color I am, and I feel like I'm too tired to do it now," she explained, rolling onto her side to face him.

He grinned. "You're not. I find that when I'm tired, I revert to Kylo. Conserves energy, if you will. That's why I haven't changed back yet," he said, pointing to the black tendrils that crept up her leg. 

"And here I thought it was because you knew I liked them so much," she teased before scrunching her nose. "Do I just concentrate like before to make the change happen?"

"Yes."

He leaned forward with closed eyes and pressed his forehead to hers, hoping to show her the thought process he used. Seconds later, he felt her legs change shape. 

She gasped. "Ben, look. I did it."

Opening his eyes, he was arrested by the dull goldenrod color that filled his vision. Long, delicate tendrils of gold lay haphazardly in the sand for her bottom half, and he had never seen anything more perfect. 

Or for that matter, arousing. He found himself becoming hard all over again at seeing her look like him in all ways but coloring. 

"Rey, you are exquisite. Stunning," he praised, getting up and bending his tentacles in a sort of kneeling position so as to kiss along the soft, golden skin and her ridges. "You are truly the light to my darkness."

Her hands buried themselves in his hair, holding him there as he kissed along the edge where her skin changed color. From there, he made his way down, the tips of his tentacles swirling with hers, as though embracing her several different times. 

For a little bit, she was ready to lie there and receive his love, still too worn out from her orgasm. His thoughts conveyed everything she needed in that moment, getting excited over the smallest details on her body. As he journeyed lower, though, he began licking and kissing the erogenous zones on and around her suckers more frequently, and he watched her twitch and squirm pleasantly.

"Ben, if you don't stop that, I'm going to ask you to become full Kylo," she said, resting on her elbows. "You're at my tips already."

"I know. One place left," he murmured, climbing over her and placing his face in front of her opening. "I need to know how you taste."

She whimpered but spread wider. "You are totally fucking me after this."

"Perhaps that's what I've always wanted," he teased, sliding his tongue inside her to drink in her juices. An explosion of sweet and something wholly Rey greeted him, and he was gone. With just a taste, he knew he'd never get enough, tongue delving deeper and lips latching onto her. 

_ Yes. More of this. Mine. _

He felt her body tense as a new ache pulled her under. "I’m ready, Kylo," she said, lifting her hips.

_ I want to crawl inside you and never leave. You're too good. _ He lapped and drank greedily until she was moving too much and his small tongue was not enough.  _ One day, we'll mate with both of us as full animals. I just want to know. Once. _

"I'd love that, too," she panted, pulling him out. "But not right now." She transformed back to a full human, and he crawled onto her, more than ready to fill her to the brim. "I need my Kylo."

He turned into a full octopus, and he recognized her joy immediately, in the broad smile she bestowed upon him and the love she had for him that shone and sang through the bond. 

If there had been any doubts left about her liking this form, there weren't anymore. It left him feeling lighter than ever, and when she spread her legs, encouraging him inside, it sparked a primal need to have and give. 

She was his, now more than ever, and he intended to give her heart's desire. 

"Fill me, Kylo. Take everything," she pleaded, kissing him with both hands around his head. "I'm yours."

He returned the kiss until she lay back, desire already making her shaky and wet. He alternated between inserting a tentacle into her ass and pussy, and he loved every minute of hearing Rey's giddy anticipation as one tentacle after another thrust and made its home deep inside her. 

It never ceased to amaze him that as he stretched her to her limits, she still wanted to pleasure him, eyeing his bottom half with hooded eyes. That she was thirsty for him and only him made him crow with pride. 

She was as hopelessly addicted to him as he was to her. A perfect pair. 

When there were only two tendrils left to go, he extended his cock, and her hands greedily grasped it. She stroked and worshipped the flared head until white drizzled out, and she spread it over her chest and stomach, loving how it felt against her skin. She urged his cock closer, grabbing him at the back of the flared head and brushing his tip against her breasts. 

As soon as he touched her sensitive mounds, he was choked by her arousal, and he continued to drown in it until he stopped at her lips. She kissed his cock repeatedly, fingers finding his ridges and touching him everywhere so that he became lost in his own pleasure.

Wanting to heighten her passion further, he placed both tentacles at their desired holes, and he  _ pushed.  _

"Kylo!"

The way she shouted his name and gushed around him drove him wild.

"You loved that, didn't you? Being stuffed so tight. I felt it ricochet all through your body," he said, cock preparing for her mouth. "You want more."

"Yes. Give it to me, Kylo. I can take it," she said without hesitation. 

"You will." 

The tentacles shoved in deeper, and she moaned at the sensations. He thought he had experienced much through Rey so far, but this second-hand fullness was so good. Incredible. He slipped in deeper, and he almost didn't want to go on because of how wonderful it felt.

But Rey was insistent. "You're only halfway there. I know you can do better than that."

"Your smart mouth needs to be rewarded," he deadpanned, nudging his cock inside her mouth. 

The triumphant grin she wore said much about her priorities, and she sucked him in easily, having had more practice. As she worked her jaw and ran her hands along his length, she gave him some of the greatest pleasure he could imagine, save for being inside her pussy. The more she drew him in, drinking up every ounce of him she could take, the deeper his tentacles traveled. 

It was slower for his tentacles, but it gave more time to Rey to work him up. It was a constant exchange between them, one giving the other something pleasurable before returning it in kind, and when he finally bottomed inside both her ass and pussy, he almost came just on the heady emotions and thorough blow job she gave him.

_ Kylo, I love you. _

"I love you, too," he grit out, loving how tight she was and how proud she was for taking him so well. 

He wasn't going to last, so he started pumping in and out of her steadily, and she egged him on, with needy sounds. He gave it to her, speeding up naturally from the closeness of his orgasm, and soon she was howling around him, hips meeting his thrusts. 

When he hit a new, untouched spot within her, he couldn't help himself. He came inside her mouth, overwhelmed by it all. He felt guilty for a moment, but not for long, as Rey would have none of it. 

_ Your happiness is just as important. I don't have to come first every time. Remember: I'm excited to be able to give this to you, too.  _

Her tongue and fingers caressed him lovingly, and she swallowed him like she was dying of thirst. 

_ Thank you, Kylo. I feel so wonderfully full. _

He couldn't move for a few minutes, drained from his climax, and she enjoyed the stretch, letting it send her higher. When he was ready, he continued his onslaught upon her lower body, slowly retracting his cock until he came to her breasts. 

As soon as he brushed against her there, she whined, and it gave him an idea from what he remembered of past moments. With one final push with all his tentacles, he moved the tip of his cock and sucked in one of her nipples. 

Rey found her release, and he was equal parts relieved and turned on as he experienced it secondhand. As she plunged into the abyss, crying his name, he worked her slowly and bent over to cover her other breast with his mouth. With gentle sucks and undulations of his tentacles, she came back to him, sated at last for the day. 

Wanting to relax beside her, he removed himself from within her and transformed, lying next to her and holding her hand.

"Mm, Kylo. You continue to outdo yourself. Can we just lay here all day?"

"In the sand?" he questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

"I'm too lazy to get up; how about you?" she asked, turning to face him. 

"There's  _ always  _ enough energy to leave the sand," he said, standing up and making her chuckle. 

"Your grandfather shared his similar opinions about sand with me on our last day. You're very similar," she said, raising her arms so that he'd help her up.

"We are." 

Bridal-carrying her, he walked them into the ocean one last time to get cleaned off, and then they grabbed their clothes and headed back to their room. As he walked, Rey shared other tidbits from their conversation. 

"When he mentioned the ring's story, I loved it. Such a beautiful promise of love as he wooed and won her. He held onto that ring for ten years, waiting until she was ready to accept him."

"All of it worth it," concluded Ben. "Now it's our turn to carry on the family legacy of love."

"I couldn't be more excited," she enthused, leaning against his chest. "I think Amilyn is still in shock you asked so quickly."

He laughed. "You told her we were getting married."

"But not this soon!" she giggled, trying to imitate Amilyn's exact tone and voice. When she calmed down, she said, "I'd like to do something special for her while we're in the Pacific. Will you help me?"

"If it has anything to do with collecting venom from a certain type of octopus for her research, of course. They're still dangerous since we can shift into humans," he said, sneaking a peek at her before focusing on the path ahead. "It's very thoughtful of you to do that."

"Well, she is the reason why we were able to meet, too," she reminded him, kissing his cheek. 

"That's true," he said, putting her down as they reached the bed and breakfast. "I've been waiting a long time for you, but I would wait another ten years for you just to have even a fraction of the happiness I now share with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!!


	19. Epilogue: For Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben travel, get married, and more

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My deepest, sincerest thanks to all of you readers for sticking with me until the end. Here's the epilogue. Prepare yourselves for even more fluff.
> 
> A special note of thanks goes - as always to my beta and to my faithful maker of beautiful moodboards. Thank you [automatic_badgirl](automatic_badgirl) for all your help in beta reading, and thank you so much [WinglessOne](WinglessOne) for all the beautiful things you have created for this fic. This fic wouldn't be possible without you. <3

Their engagement was only the beginning.

The trip to the Pacific was full of new places, new food, and more adventures than Rey had ever thought. She swam with sharks, rode on top of whales, and saw more species of animals and octopuses than she had imagined possible. 

It helped that she could communicate with various animals now, thanks to her new body. 

Getting used to her new, golden form took some getting used to, but just like their time in the bedroom, Ben was more than willing to practice and help her. She took to her new body like a fish in the sea, as though she had always been meant for that life. She still wasn't as graceful as Ben, but she was still Ben's golden beacon of light underwater, glowing only for him.

Ben had never been prouder, and he contacted his family frequently in order to brag about her. In turn, they made it a point to joke about when he was marrying her and having kids with her. 

"She was able to calm down an agitated dolphin today," said Ben over the phone to his mother. "I didn't have to interfere once and say anything."

"That's wonderful news, Son. Soon, she'll be able to navigate the seas without you."

"She never has to," said Ben, glancing at his fiance as she rubbed the sand off herself from digging for crabs. "Nor would I want to leave her."

"I hope you keep that attitude when your children arrive--"

"Mother," groaned Ben, running a hand along the back of his neck. 

"What?" She didn't even sound contrite. "She shouldn't be stuck taking care of them all by herself, and I want grandchildren."

"All in time--"

"I'll be dead before that happens at this rate," grumbled Leia before Han jumped in.

"You gotta continue our line and the species, Ben! It's all up to you, Benny-boy, and I have complete faith in you after your first visit here."

Ben shut his eyes and wished he hadn't spent quite so much time in bed with Rey around his parents. They were relentless.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Sure thing, kid. I'm looking forward to teaching your boys how to hunt for fish."

"Boys?" sneered Leia, sounding annoyed. "He's having girls. Girls who can wear all these pretty dresses of mine--"

At that point, Ben ended the call before his parents took to bickering and forgetting about him, which was fine by him. He had Rey to get back to. “You’d think they’d have more faith in my timing since we got together so fast,” muttered Ben with a disbelieving shake of his head.

Rey patted his arm. “I think that’s why they mention it so much.”

“ _ Not _ helping.”

It was after they returned home to Virginia Beach that Rey began the process of planning their wedding, besides taking care of the newest additions to their lab. More injured creatures were adopted, and they found several females who ended up giving birth while staying at the lab. Rey found wedding planning more tiresome than wading into the water and seeing to the needs of her creatures, but she also had friends asking her for information as soon as she came back. 

Seeing as both Ben and she had few friends and family, Rey didn’t mind setting up the wedding on the beach in front of the lab. Once she determined that, she called the family home to find the address for where to send the wedding invitations.

Luke answered, surprisingly enough. “Skywalker-Solo residence. Ben, if you tell me one more time about how Rey is the best mate yet of all to have joined this family, I’m going to say your fiance was secretly a fish-shifter the entire time.”

Rey laughed for several minutes, forgetting how much she loved and missed talking to his uncle. “Hi, Uncle Luke. It’s great to hear from you again.”

“You’re still addressing me as your uncle, so that counts for something. How can I help you, future niece?”

She pulled out her pen. “I want to send all of you a ‘Save The Date’ and official wedding invitations. What is the address of your house?”

“That’s not how it works in this family,” replied Luke, and Rey could hear the smile in his voice. “We all hate the mail, as things inevitably get delayed or lost. Each pair of us will visit you to pick up our invitation and give you our RSVP.” Rey dropped her pen, not expecting that answer as Luke forged ahead. “When can we start visiting?”

“Next week,” she said, making a mental note to buy more groceries. “Will you all come at once?”

“We may. We may not. You’ll never know until we’re there,” teased Luke as Rey rolled her eyes. “That’s the joy of joining this family. We move as the water leads us.”

“Well, you better do it before our next trip to Europe. I can’t promise we’ll have invites with us as we swim around the continent,” commented Rey. “We leave in two months.”

“Another month-long trip for that, right?” queried Luke. “My naughty nephew mentioned it briefly in our last call when he spent thirty straight minutes telling me about you and all you had accomplished in the past week with regard to your smooth transformation from one form to the other.”

“I’m sorry?” she asked, making him laugh in turn.

“Don’t be. We’re all happy to hear Ben’s voice, and regularly at that. It’s the first time in a long time, and we’re all glad you’re learning quickly. Has he given your new form a name yet? Mine is Mark,” said Luke.

Rey's face fell. "Not yet."

"He will soon. I'm sure of it. Just keep dragging him to the bedroom and work on those kids that everyone wants to see," joked Luke, making Rey burst out laughing. 

They hung up soon after, and Rey created all the invitations the next day on Ben’s expensive printer after buying cardstock. It was while she was printing them that Ben strolled behind her and placed his hands on her hips.

“What are these?” He nuzzled her neck before kissing below her ear.

She leaned into his touch, trying not to be distracted by him. “Our wedding invitations. If we want to get married a year from when we first met, we need to get these out soon.”

He picked one up off the printer. “Our names look so boring.”

“You have a better idea?” she asked, turning to face him. “I’m open to suggestions.”

He gave her a mischievous look. “Print all of them without our names. I’ll write them myself. This way, I contributed something to the process besides saying yes to everything you want.”

“Do you have another secret talent you’re about to wow me with?” she asked with narrowed eyes, canceling the print job.

“You’ll see,” he said mysteriously, stealing another kiss before wandering into their bedroom. Calling from behind his shoulder, he said, “Place all of them on my desk and give up doing anymore work for today.”

“And what if I want to?” she threw back, shaking her head at his cockiness. 

“Then I’ll just have to prove it to you, and when I do, I’m dragging you outside tonight instead of snuggling in bed,” he retorted as he opened their closet door.

“Then I’m  _ definitely  _ doing more work tonight.” She checked the weather as the new batch of invitations were printed, noticing it was cold for Virginia. Perhaps not compared to the deep depths they explored in the Pacific, but they weren’t in their other bodies for this. “Can we walk by the Neptune Statue if we do end up outside? I miss it.”

“Of course.” He meandered back to her after she placed the invitations down, an inkwell and large feather in hand. “Watch the master doodler at work.”

She eyed him curiously. “I am...intrigued.”

“I saw someone do this at the first research conference I attended, and it fascinated me. Prepare to be impressed,” he said jauntily, pulling the feather apart to reveal two feather quills. “It’s called calligraphy.”

“I’ve heard of it but never seen it in action,” she said as he dipped one quill in the inkwell. “So you’re going to doodle our names at the top of each of these?”

“Yes. And I’m even prepared to do more given the proper inducement,” he said, waggling an eyebrow before glancing outside.

“Hold your tentacles and let me see you do one first, master doodler,” she quipped, standing behind him and placing her hands on his shoulders.

He melted into her touch, and his right hand began writing. Like water that rolled down the sides of his smooth tentacles, the quill and ink danced across the cardstock, large rolls and loops of script flowing from the pen. Rey watched in open-mouthed awe as he finished the first one with a flourish.

“Do it again,” she challenged. “You can’t do it that perfectly every time.”

“You can when you’ve had practice like I have,” he said, blushing before turning his face to kiss her. “I’m pleased you like it.”

“I wish I had known sooner,” she grumbled as he wrote another one. 

After doing five more invitations just like the first, he turned and pretended to yawn. “That was easy.”

Her hands went to her hips. “Well, if you’re so good, show me how you can do better.”

He picked up the other quill with his left hand. “With pleasure.” A smirk filled his features. “I’m ambidextrous.”

To her utter shock, he duplicated his wavy handwriting with his left hand, all while writing at the same time as his right! Rey’s head hurt from glancing back and forth between his two hands working in tandem, only picking up the quills to start a new word. 

She kissed him when he finished. “How did you do that?” 

“Years and years of practice. I needed a challenge after mastering my right hand, and it’s relatively easy because of having to toggle between all my tentacles. Come sit in my lap as I finish the rest,” he invited, scooting back to admit her. “It feels more right when you’re there.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” She rounded him to settle in.

With her back leaning against his chest, their heartbeats synced, and a sense of peace filled Rey that only came when she was touching Ben in some way. It didn’t matter if he was inside of her or not; as long as he was close, it felt like home. His were the arms she loved; his were the tentacles she craved, day and night. It didn’t matter if she was surrounded by a whole group of sharks; as long as she had Ben, she was fearless and calm.

Because he was just as much at peace around her. She felt it in their bond every time they just sat together or lay in bed. Ben was happiest at her side, and there was nowhere else she’d rather be.

Both of his hands waltzed across the pages, and he made only one extra inkblot on all of them. Mostly because Rey chose then to kiss him, and he got a little too excited. 

When he finished, he kissed the top of her head. “I could be convinced to do more and show-off even further for you...for the right price.”

“You have to tell me what first before I agree to leave the warmth of the lab,” she insisted, wiggling her hips. “I want to thank you properly for sharing this skill with me.”

“You can outside as well,” he reminded her slyly, dropping the quills in the inkwells and transforming his arms into tentacles. “I can make a pretty, looping border with these arms as well.”

Both of her eyebrows rose to her hairline. “If you can do that with both tentacles at the same time, I will kiss you under the Neptune Statue.”

“And if I finish all of the invitations with borders?” he bargained, picking up the quills. “I demand something more.”

“You can ravish me senseless there,” she promised, squeezing his tendrils to seal the deal.

He grinned triumphantly. “Done.”

Rey didn’t end up working anymore that day. She was too mesmerized watching Ben’s suckers grasp the thin quill in different spots and create little waves for a border along all four edges of the invitation. It was a little less precise than with his hands, but had she not witnessed him and compared it to his handwriting, she wouldn’t have noticed much of a difference.

As he drew, he asked her questions about what she had planned for the wedding so far. She had already told him about Luke’s answer, which hadn’t surprised him at all. 

When he finally finished, it was dinner time, and they ate some leftover shrimp linguine before they bundled up. Wearing a fuzzy hat and scarf with her two heavy jackets, Rey stayed relatively warm while Ben sported plaid flannel, a tan corduroy jacket, and a black beanie. He dragged her outside for a walk, ready to do something different that night. 

By then, it was past sunset, a thin ribbon of pink still hugging the horizon as it slowly faded into the deep blue sea and darkening sky around it. The pair walked arm-in-arm down the boardwalk, each street lamp casting an orange-yellow haze upon them. They decided to skirt around the light and step only in the shadows as a game. It let them be competitive, as well as stay warm. 

When they finally made it to their destination, Ben pulled her to the exact spot where they had shared their first kiss. Huddling against one another for warmth, Ben’s hands cradled her face like she was the most precious pearl in an oyster that he had ever found. 

“Thank you for indulging me,” he whispered, his breaths visible in the cold air.

“I loved watching you do it. I want to do that one day, but I’ll be satisfied with just being able to transform different tentacles at will like you do easily,” she said, shoulders falling since she still tended to only turn into a full octopus or half.

“All in good time, sweetheart. You’ll get there. I’ll help you,” he promised. He rested his forehead against hers. “I’m still surprised you let me take you out here. Your breath makes pretty, little fog clouds.”

She shrugged, her back cold against the statue. “I love you. I would have agreed to it eventually,” she admitted, earning her a swift kiss. “I hope that’s not your idea of ravishing me.”

“That’s just the first kiss. No one seems to be around,” he said after looking for onlookers. “Are you cold?”

She gave him a predatory grin. “Yes. I hear the best way to warm up is with direct skin-to-skin contact.” 

“It is.” Rey felt his fingers change into suckers, and already she was wet for him, eager to feel him everywhere. He leaned in for another soul-stealing kiss. “Hold on tight to me, Rey. I’m letting go of you soon to fill you so good.”

Her eyes darkened with lust, his words igniting a flame within her that would only be satisfied by his cock filling her to the brim with his cum, dousing it momentarily. 

Both knew that the spark of need they had for another would never die. 

She concentrated and willed her arms to transform into tentacles, wanting extra means to hold him while he railed into her. As she deepened the kiss, she felt her body change so her longer reach could now encompass his broad shoulders and caress his neck. 

“Yes,” both breathed in stereo before Rey let go of the rest of her body, clinging to him as he sandwiched her between him and Neptune. 

Rey pressed into his neck as hard as she could, determined to leave marks on his skin there. Ben growled his approval, and the fire in her belly consumed her whole body. “I did it,” she panted. 

“You did. You just needed the right encouragement.” He paused to drink in her rapidly rising and falling chest and darkened eyes. “My mate is doing so well,” he praised, his jacket and shirt riding up as two more black tendrils slid free and pushed his pants down, revealing black, satiny-smooth skin and raised patterns as two final tentacles appeared. “She ought to be rewarded.”

If her pants weren’t soaked before, they were then. She made a whining noise in her chest before kissing his forehead. “Destroy my clothes, Kylo. I need you.”

“Not as much as I need you,” he rasped, the suckers at her face unzipping her jackets before revealing her bare chest. “Have I mentioned lately how grateful I am that you don’t wear bras anymore?”

“Show me again,” she urged, rocking her hips so she could wrap her legs around him. 

“So impatient,” he intoned, sucking a hardened nipple into his mouth as two midnight tendrils ripped her pants in half to have better access to her. 

_ So salty and sweet, my favorite taste. _ His broadcasted thoughts made her burn all the more for him.  _ I could suck these nipples all day. Rich and fragrant, mine _ . He increased the suction on her taut buds before opening his mouth further, allowing his tongue to swipe along the underside of her breasts.  _ So ripe and fresh for me, the best salty flavor, better than the ocean. _

“And greedy,” she added breathlessly, shivering at the feel of the cold air against her soaked pussy. Thankfully, his huge body protected her from the wind, and her whole body primed itself for his welcome intrusion, moving her ass away from the statue to give his tentacles better access.

The smooth bronze was freezing against her bare skin revealed by her hiked-up jackets, but she hardly noticed when she saw his cock bathed in the low light, large and twitching with arousal. 

“I’ve wanted you all day,” he murmured, his cock head breaching her entrance.

“Insatiable,” she teased, letting go of him slightly to impale herself on his thick cock, slowly falling down upon him. As he slid in easily and seated himself, she groaned. “Almost as much as me.”

“I wouldn’t have you any other way,” he said reverently, peppering her breasts with kisses. “I’ll never tire of the way you want me relentlessly.”

“Yes, and now you can hear it every day,” she tittered as he lifted his face, giving her a large, goofy grin.

“It never gets old.” One tentacle circled her ass, preparing it with lubricant. Rey relaxed instantly, and his grin grew wider. “Just like this doesn’t. Going to fill you to bursting.”

“Fill me hard, Kylo. Make me think it’s summer outside from the heat of you,” she challenged, raising her hips slightly to feel his ridges slide against her inner walls, clenching around him briefly.

The movement had both of their bodies humming, and their bond came alive. “So tight,” he choked out, ramming harder into her pussy until her whole body moved with him, her small mounds bouncing with the effort. “Want you tighter.”

She threw her head back as two tentacles entered her ass, keening loudly. One tentacle entered her mouth, muffling her moans and pumping more lubricant onto her over-stimulated tongue. She swiped along his length with her tongue and drowned in his seaweed taste, his scent filling her senses. 

It didn’t matter that it was freezing cold outside or that they could be spotted at any moment. Indeed, the very thought of being caught with him buried deep inside her had Rey even more turned on. She was so gone for him that she didn’t care who knew. She just wanted everyone to know she was his, utterly and completely as she yearned to be stuffed full of him, and he was hers as she marked him and swallowed him whole.

And because Rey imagined it and loved it, Ben was almost as willing to be caught making love to her in public. The thrill of the forbidden and being caught heightened their coupling.

Two more tentacles plunged into her ass, stealing her breath as his cock swelled from the combining of their arousal. He burrowed those two into her abused hole until he could go no further, and she gloried in the stretch as he began to pump in and out of her everywhere. 

Each sensation drew her pleasure higher, his cock and tentacles lightning rods that shot electric need into her with every thrust. She received all of it with open legs and even more slick that made his path inside her pussy a little easier as her walls clenched around him. 

_ More, Ben, more. Please, Kylo, I need-- _

His cock expanded until it was almost painful in the stretch, and the way his hips stuttered, she knew he was close. She sucked on the tentacle in her mouth harder, encouraging him to let go, but he wouldn’t budge.

“I love when you use both names interchangeably like that,” he murmured, sucking on her other breast. “Where do you want the final one? Around your breast or inside you?”

Her eyes lit up in anticipation.  _ Inside my pussy. I want to be stretched and kissed by you. _

“I was hoping you’d say that,” he said, taking the last free tentacle and jamming into her pussy. As the tentacle in her mouth gagged her, he grinned as lust became a forest fire within her, each electric touch of him destroying her a little more. “Take it. Take every inch of my love.” More suckers pressed against her wet walls, and both shuddered. “It’s not my hands on your breasts, but I’ll make up for them. Keep taking me, sweetheart.”

_ I’ll never stop. _

By the time his final tendril filled her, her whole body needed to move, to be stretched until he broke her, slowly building her back together with his tender touches and loving words. 

He felt her desire and moved in and out of her at the fast pace that made her scream, and she lived for every second of it. They fucked like animals against the statue, Rey meeting his thrusts every step of the way as he growled and pulsed within her. He pushed in with such power that it sent her hurtling toward the edge until he yanked her back with a slow removal, and she followed him every time, always trying to bring him back to where he belonged, inside her at her center. That give and take was repeated until she was vibrating with need, drenching her thighs in her slick. 

Her inner thoughts were all gibberish, strings of partial words punctuated by his name, the only word that was intelligible. 

The tentacle inside her pussy brought one sucker not within her against her clit, squeezing tightly. “Come for me, Rey.”

She let the fire consume her entirely, and his name was the only thing that filled their mental link before her intense, burning love for him choked him so much that he, too, found his release. He gave it all to her with a large whoosh of air as his chest collided with hers, his right cheek resting lightly against hers. He collapsed against her with a final thrust, pounding into her until he bottomed out, emptying himself within her with a satisfied groan. 

With sweaty faces and radiant grins, they never noticed the cold, nor that their bodies were rapidly cooling from the combined liquids that seeped out. They were lost in the moment, caught in the whirlpool of each other’s emotions and the euphoric high that made everything fall to the wayside.

He pulled the tentacle out of her mouth first so that he could kiss her.  _ You taste like me. _

_ Because I’m filled with you, just as I should be. _

He continued to kiss her and marvel at her taste, slowly pulling out of her everywhere before both transformed back to their human forms. They cuddled until the wind picked up, and Rey shivered. 

“Ben, can we go home now?”

Sorrow and frustration with himself filled the bond, and her answering love and encouragement stopped him in his tracks. At that, he zipped up her jackets and removed his outer layer to cover her lower half like a blanket, sprinting as he carried her home. 

When they were inside, they took a hot shower together, and that was the perfect way to end the night, cleaning one another up before crawling into bed and cuddling there. 

It was the moments like that that they both treasured. Some days were quiet as they did their daily work. Others were more hectic, such as when his family dropped in unannounced. Some were more stressful as Rey tried to find decorations, food, and a cake for the wedding while Ben planned their trip to Europe. 

By the time they went to Europe, everyone who had been invited to the wedding had accepted, and all logistical issues had been resolved. After shipping their supplies and clothes ahead of them, they made the long swim across the Atlantic, ducking into the deeper waters to escape notice near borders. 

They started in Finland and journeyed south, eventually hitting the United Kingdom and France before circling around Portugal and Spain to see Italy, Greece, and other spots. It grew warmer in temperature the further south they went, and Rey loved the heat. They stopped along various shores and saw the sights a little more for Rey’s sake, instead of simply sticking to the sea, and she loved every second of the new places she saw. 

One of Rey’s favorite places they saw was Venice. Riding on the water taxis felt surreal after traveling by sea, and even though the gondola rides were stupidly expensive, they still took one. With soft music and a narrated tour of the area, it was a pleasant evening to be a tourist. 

It was at the end of their time in Venice that Ben led her to a secluded beach with a picnic basket after touring a glass factory. There were a fair number of people present, but he led her further away.

“I’ve swum past this place before and always wanted to bring my mate here,” he said with a grin. “It seemed like an ideal place for us.” Rey was about to ask why until she saw several beachgoers stark naked. At that, he leaned in. “As much as we like making out on the beach, we might as well do it where no one else will care.”

After a leisurely lunch and taking time to admire the scenery, Rey eagerly shed her clothes and ran into the ocean. Ben followed soon after, pressing his front to hers.

“I know we can be like this without shame here, but I still want to keep my view of you to myself. I didn’t think about that,” he mumbled, tilting her chin up to kiss her. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” she said, her face turning playful. “I know a way around it.”

“Tell me." He tugged her in closer.

“We’ve always wanted to have sex with both of us in full octopus forms...why not here?” she suggested, pointing to the deeper water nearby. “No one would notice us.”

“This is one of many reasons I’m marrying you,” he said, squeezing her hand. “Let’s do it.”

They dove in and transformed, and Rey loved seeing his black tendrils undulate in the clear water. He glided toward her with graceful precision, trying to line up his bottom half with hers. 

Rey played with him in the water, making squealing noises and turning in circles, forcing him to become dizzy with her. As she slowed, his voice through the bond deepened, and he called to her with a melody of low groans and growls that spoke to her, urging her to come closer and participate in the eternal dance that was as old as time itself. She was unable to resist the siren call to him, anticipation and tension building within her as she drew nearer. 

He held out one tentacle in supplication, and she finally let the tip of one touch his to the furthest point she could reach since hers were still shorter than his. With that one touch, their suckers met, and Rey didn’t understand how she could love Ben more. There was something primal and right about mating in that form, and with each sucker that met, their bond grew stronger. Only when all of Rey’s tentacles were tied inextricably to his did the remaining tips of him curl over her and stroke the pattern of whorls and ridges that were unique to her.

_ So soft and yet hard in other places. Firm and yet yielding to me. _

For a long time, they swam in little circles, connected and exploring the feel of one another. Ben loved every second that he could examine her golden lengths, and he stroked along her everywhere until the heat and lust within her demanded he act. With high-pitched noises and little mewls, she coaxed his cock out, knowing immediately when it slid out of him, almost instantly touching her hyper-sensitive body. As he extended, she felt her inner cavity expand to accept him, sucking him in as soon as his large head nudged her opening. 

Even with just the head of him inside, he felt perfect, and the massaging touch of his tentacles only stoked her need for him.

_ Come closer, Kylo. _

_ Mm, Kira. Mine. _

Rey knew that she would need a name for her octopus form, and it had always been tradition in the family for the mate to find the perfect name. Ben had been reluctant to give her a name, as he had wanted her to choose. However, she had always insisted that she already chose to become a Solo, so he could do it. 

In that moment, she knew with certainty that she had her new name. She loved it.

_ Yes, yours. Let Kira have her Kylo _ .

He surged within her, his full length finding its home within her. She thought he would start thrusting, but instead, his girth increased through short, shallow pumps of liquid shooting in as he hardened further. 

_ I claim my Kira, now and always. _

She didn’t know he could get so big. Her body stretched to accommodate him, and she reveled in it, encouraging him to pump more of his cum into the space. The steady motion of his thrusts lulled her into a sort of sleepy state of lust, almost drunk on him as their bodies twirled like a slow, spinning top that had just gotten started. 

When he finally stopped growing, he spun with her faster, holding her tight and letting the seeming centrifugal force pull him into her deeper.

_ It feels so good to have you this way, Kira.  _

_ We are truly one now. _

He pulled out and pushed back in with bruising intensity, and she keened, her whole body shaking. 

_ Always. _

His thrusts grew faster and stronger, and with them, so did their speed as they made circles in the water. He was relentless in his pistoning inside her, and she felt her arousal reach new heights as he continued to resist spilling inside her, instead unhooking from her suckers and using his black tendrils to twist around her golden ones, touching all parts of her. She loved the braided rope their limbs created, colors twisting and blending together as they sped faster. In, in, in he pushed until he knew every inch of her inner cavity, marking all of it with his touch. She took, took, took until she could bear it no longer, pushed to the edge of her sanity and clenching around him.

_ Fill me now, Kylo! _

He came with a roar that scared away all sea creatures within twenty miles of them. When she felt his hot seed fill and coat her, she pulled him in still deeper, her whole body attuned to the point where their bodies were intertwined. He just kept on coming, giving her more, and she hoped to repeat the magical experience again.

Ben was truly spent after that. His grip loosened, and she held onto him until he recovered enough to change back and go to shore. They ate in their room that night, preferring to lie on their hotel room bed and discuss what they liked best about the trip so far. 

There were more moments like that in every country they visited, and when they finally had to return home, it was reluctantly on Rey’s part. However, the desire to see her friends and Ben’s family had her ready to get back and begin setting up for their beach wedding.

Ben’s family all arrived a week before the ceremony, a couple days before Rose and Amilyn did. Trying to avoid the fact that Ben’s family weren’t actually staying in a hotel room made things awkward at first, but once the family started talking to Rey’s friends, it didn’t matter. All were too happy for the couple, and some bonded together at once. Amilyn and Leia became fast friends, as did Han and Poe. Rose exchanged beauty tips with Mara Jade, and Ben and Rey chatted with everyone when they could.

The day of the wedding dawned clear and bright, a little brisk in the morning but warmer by the time of the ceremony at midday. Despite soft instrumental music playing in the background, the screech of the seagulls made for a unique counterpoint to the rhythm, along with the soft waves of the rising tide. 

There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, everything on the horizon a soft, cerulean blue. The humidity was tolerable, and it helped that everyone wore either light dresses or Hawaaiin shirts with shorts. Han and Luke crafted a small, white arch to hang some daisies, sunflowers, and baby’s breath from, and only two rows of seats were needed as guests faced the ocean. 

Amilyn proudly officiated the wedding, and she was a good choice. Everyone in Ben’s family teared up or cried at some point, even Padme and Leia. Anakin cried first, followed quickly by Han. 

It was a short ceremony, and after they exchanged homemade vows, Rose -- the sole bridesmaid -- wheeled Artoo and Threepio down the aisle in a wagon full of water since those two held the rings. 

Rey’s friends found it highly irregular, but all of the Skywalkers and Solos thought it fitting. After the ceremony and photos, they enjoyed a good meal and danced on the top of one of the nearby hotels. 

Early into the reception, Rey approached Amilyn and handed her three vials.

“While I was in the Pacific Ocean with Ben, we came across a Giant Pacific Octopus. This is for you. You should probably take it back to your room now before we all get drunk.”

“I don’t know how you managed to do this, but thank you,” said Amilyn softly, still staring in shock that she had so much venom to study. When she tore her gaze away, she asked, “How? What’s so special about your husband?”

Rey grinned. “I love that he’s my husband now, even if we have been by his family’s rules since we got engaged.”

“I don’t understand.” Amilyn stared at her and silently willed Rey to explain. “They seem normal.”

“They’re all as normal as Ben, which is to say they’re not at all,” said Rey with a smile. “Everyone in his family has unique traits, which is why they love octopuses so much.” Rey looked around and made sure no one was around. “Suffice it to say that they understand octopuses more than humans sometimes, and now I can study with them.”

Amilyn blinked and rubbed her eyes with her free hand. “I think I’m going to drink and forget we ever had this conversation. I’m only more confused now, but it seems you’re happy and safe. That’s what matters.”

Rey grinned. “It is.”

At the end of the night, the new couple were given a proper sendoff with rose petals and cheers, even if Luke and Han played Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" a little too loudly. 

"Remember when you were conceived, Ben!" shouted his very drunk father. 

Ben's grimace of disbelief was hidden by Rey kissing him before they exited the party. Rey’s friends were too drunk to notice that everyone else left the hotel, as Ben and Rey only wanted to sleep in their own bed. They enjoyed a blissful honeymoon in the lab without duties, Ben’s whole family visiting afterward to invite them to come visit Jamaica again. 

However, Ben and Rey had a lot more plans and traveling to do. On their first and second trips back, the couple did more research and spent time with the family. 

The third trip, however, was the one that was special to Han and Leia, for that was the first time that Ben and Rey brought their six-month-old twins to see the whole family, instead of in pairs as everyone witnessed the good news. With curly hair like their father and eyes that matched their mother, the little boy and girl stole the hearts of everyone. Ben and Rey’s trips to Jamaica became more frequent after that, with their time focused on the family, and both couldn’t have been happier about it.

Their new family was only the beginning of a new set of adventures to come. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR LOVE AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF THIS FIC. I'm sad but proud. Thanks for reading!! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> The chapter count could change, just as a FYI. Depends on how verbose I am. I've got 50k written so far, so we'll see where it goes.


End file.
